Samuel Richardson Quotes

A man who insults the modesty of a woman, as good as tells her that he has seen something in her conduct that warranted his presumption.

There cannot be any great happiness in the married life except each in turn give up his or her own humors and lesser inclinations.

Beauty is an accidental and transient good.

Women are sometimes drawn in to believe against probability by the unwillingness they have to doubt their own merit.

The grace that makes every grace amiable is humility.

Prejudices in disfavor of a person fix deeper, and are much more difficult to be removed, than prejudices in favor.

Nothing dries sooner than tears.

Those who can least bear a jest upon themselves, will be most diverted with one passed on others.

Friendly satire may be compared to a fine lancet, which gently breathes a vein for health's sake.

Vast is the field of Science... the more a man knows, the more he will find he has to know.

The laws were not made so much for the direction of good men, as to circumscribe the bad.

All our pursuits, from childhood to manhood, are only trifles of different sorts and sizes, proportioned to our years and views.

What we look upon as our greatest unhappiness in a difficulty we are involved in, may possibly be the evil hastening to its crisis, and happy days may ensue.

It may be very generous in one person to offer what it would be ungenerous in another to accept.

Chastity, like piety, is a uniform grace.

The World, thinking itself affronted by superior merit, takes delight to bring it down to its own level.

The difference in the education of men and women must give the former great advantages over the latter, even where geniuses are equal.

O! what a Godlike Power is that of doing Good! I envy the Rich and the Great for nothing else!

All human excellence is but comparative — there are persons who excel us, as much as we fancy we excel the meanest.

A prudent person, having to do with a designing one, will always distrust most when appearances are fairest.

An acknowledged love sanctifies every little freedom; and little freedoms beget great ones.

She who is more ashamed of dishonesty than of poverty will not be easily overcome.

Rakes are more suspicious than honest men.

Evil courses can yield pleasure no longer than while thought and reflection can be kept off.

The person who will bear much shall have much to bear, all the world through.

Honesty is good sense, politeness, amiableness,--all in one.

Men know no medium: They will either, spaniel-like, fawn at your feet, or be ready to leap into your lap.

The person who is worthiest to live, is fittest to die.

The first reading of a Will, where a person dies worth anything considerable, generally affords a true test of the relations' love to the deceased.

The English, the plain English, of the politest address of a gentleman to a lady is, I am now, dear Madam, your humble servant: Pray be so good as to let me be your Lord and Master.

Good men must be affectionate men.

For tutors, although they may make youth learned, do not always make them virtuous.

From sixteen to twenty, all women, kept in humor by their hopes and by their attractions, appear to be good-natured.

Married people should not be quick to hear what is said by either when in ill humor.

The plays and sports of children are as salutary to them as labor and work are to grown persons.

Women love to be called cruel, even when they are kindest.

Men generally are afraid of a wife who has more understanding than themselves.

The first step in achieving prosperity and wealth is learning to appreciate what you already have.

We are all very ready to believe what we like.

Those we dislike can do nothing to please us.

Angry men make themselves beds of nettles.

Women love those best (whether men, women, or children) who give them most pain.

The wife of a self-admirer must expect a very cold and negligent husband.

By my soul, I can neither eat, drink, nor sleep; nor, what's still worse, love any woman in the world but her.

The uselessness and expensiveness of modern women multiply bachelors.

Superstitious notions propagated in infancy are hardly ever totally eradicate, not even in minds grown strong enough to despise the like credulous folly in others.

Parents cannot expect advice to have the same force upon their children as experience has upon themselves.

The coyest maids make the fondest wives.

Platonic love is platonic nonsense.

The unhappy never want enemies.