R.S. Thomas Quotes

Who is there that, in logical words, can express the effect music has on us?

No one is so good that he is immune from temptation. We will never be entirely free from it. . . . There is no order so holy, no place so secret where there will be no temptation.

A man's religion consists, not of the many things he is in doubt of and tries to believe, but of the few he is assured of and has no need of effort for believing.

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.

If you wish to live in peace and harmony with others, you must learn to discipline yourself in many ways.

One life; a little gleam of Time between two Eternities; no second chance to us for evermore!

Simplicity is the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God, purity unites with and enjoys him.

For it is the grace of Christ, and not our own virtue, that gives us the power to overcome the flesh and the world.

The world is a thing that a man must learn to despise, and even to neglect, before he can learn to reverence it, and work in it and for it.

I have sought for happiness everywhere, but I have found it nowhere except in a little corner with a little book.

All work, even cotton-spinning, is noble; work is alone noble.

A wise and good man will turn examples of all sorts to his own advantage. The good he will make his patterns, and strive to equal or excel them. The bad he will by all means avoid.

All earthly joy begins pleasantly, but at the end it gnaws and kills.

All great peoples are conservative.

Habit is overcome by habit. [Lat., Consuetudo consuetudine vincitur.]

A man protesting against error is on the way towards uniting himself with all men that believe in truth.

No ghost was every seen by two pair of eyes.

Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself.

Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

Don't flatter the rich, or appear to willing before the great.

In our wide world there is but one altogether fatal personage, the dunce,--he that speaks irrationally, that sees not, and yet thinks he sees.

The highest in God's esteem are the lowest in their own.

A humble knowledge of ourselves is a surer way to God than is the search for depth of learning.

Let not your peace rest in the utterances of men, for whether they put a good or bad construction on your conduct does not make you other than you are.

By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly: by simplicity and purity.

What thou art, that thou art; that God knoweth thee to be and thou canst be said to be no greater.

How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.

In judging others a man laboreth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboreth to good purpose.

The past is always attractive because it is drained of fear.

Secret fates Guide our states Both in mirth and mourning.

An original something, dear maid, you would wish me to write; but how shall I begin? For I'm sure I have not original in me, Excepting Original Sin.

Out of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

And when he is out of sight, quickly also he is out of mind.

The Irish believed that gods, druids, poets, and others in touch with the magical world could be literal shape-shifters

Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault.

The Romans held Britain from the invasion of Julius Caesar till their voluntary withdrawal from the island, A.D. 420,- that is, about five hundred years.

I would rather have one man with enthusiasm working with me than ten who are complacent.

Consider data without prejudice.

When you become quiet, it just dawns on you

The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world.

Success is the product of the severest kind of mental and physical application.

A lawsuit is the suicide of time.

They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward.

I think work is the world's greatest fun.

I can never pick up a thing without wishing to improve it.

Nature is truly wonderful. Only man is truly foul.

If there is a better solution... find it.

I'll try anything...I'll even try Limburger cheese!

I never did anything worth doing entirely by accident. . . Almost none of my inventions came about totally by accident. They were achieved by having trained myself to endure and tolerate hard work.

Were the happiness of the next world is as closely apprehended as the felicities of this, it were a martyrdom to live.