All Quotes

"You don't crush literature from outside by killing writers or intimidating them or not letting them publish […]. You do better to induce them to destroy it themselves by inducing them to subordinate it to political purposes."

"[B]eing a writer is much more important to the person, to the writer, than being anything else is to the person being it.[…] More than being a painter is to the painter or being a composer of music is to the composer, more than being anything else except maybe being a priest."

"As soon as originality became important, the days of artistic merit or excellence were numbered."

"It had even occurred to him that sticking firmly to one girl could be unethically used to obtain exemption from the sometimes gruelling task of promiscuity."

"[W]hat's the point of growing a beard if you're not going to be a little bit free and easy?"

"That stuff you read didn't condition you, you chose it because it was what you wanted to hear."

"'Do you think that's altogether fair to him, to Jimmie, that is? I realize you've known him longer than I have.' 'Maybe, maybe not. You know, darling, I think you're sometimes a bit carried away by fairness.'"

"[W]e're all trapped in a sort of conspiracy to pretend everybody's forgiven everybody else and nobody minds anything any more and we all know life's not like that but what can we do?"

"Jimmie had said more than once that the upper class enjoyed the true freedom of not caring what anybody else thought about them. Like children perhaps. If that had a bearing, there might be a connection with the boyishness of such people noted by some outside observers, including Indians under the British Raj and later."

"It isn't class differences that keep people apart, it's thinking they bloody matter."

"714. Comparisons are odious."

"719. One sword keepes another in the sheath."

"720. Be what thou wouldst seem to be."

"737. The best smell is bread, the best savour salt, the best love that of children."

"743. God's mill grinds slow but sure."

"744. Every one thinkes his sacke heaviest."

"753. By doing nothing we learne to do ill."

"756. Every sin brings its punishment with it."

"759. Give not S. Peter so much, to leave Saint Paul nothing."

"763. Better speake truth rudely then lye covertly."

"766. Better suffer ill than doe ill."

"775. A shippe and a woman are ever repairing."

"778. He that doth what he should not shall feele what he would not."

"779. He that marries for wealth sells his liberty."

"782. He that lends gives."

"815. In a long journey straw waighs."

"816. Women laugh when they can and weepe when they will."

"830. He thinkes not well that thinkes not againe."

"837. Words are women, deedes are men."

"838. Poverty is no sinne."

"848. He that endures is not overcome."

"850. He that talkes much of his happinesse summons griefe."

"874. None knows the weight of another's burthen."

"876. One houre's sleepe before midnight is worth three after."

"878. It's more paine to doe nothing then something."

"891. Hee hath no leisure who useth it not."

"897. There are more physitians in health then drunkards."

"901. Halfe the world knowes not how the other halfe lies."

"906. Silkes and satins put out the fire in the chimney."

"911. Life is halfe spent before we know what it is."

"916. The little cannot bee great, unlesse he devoure many."

"940. The great would have none great, and the little all little."

"942. Every mile is two in winter."

"966. With customes wee live well, but lawes undoe us."

"971. Hee that learnes a trade hath a purchase made."

"991. Speake not of my debts, unlesse you mean to pay them."

"1010. An oath that is not to bee made is not to be kept."

"1011. The eye is bigger then the belly."

"1023. An old cat sports not with her prey."

"[ An idle youth, a needy age. ]"