110+ Francois Rabelais Quotes On Nature, Education And World

Francois Rabelais was a French Renaissance writer, physician, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He is known for his satirical works, such as Pantagruel and Gargantua, that are written in the style of comic epic. Rabelais was a major figure in the popularization of the Renaissance humanist movement and is considered one of the greatest writers of Renaissance France. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Francois Rabelais on life, love, nature.

Top 10 Francois Rabelais Quotes

1. I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him.
2. We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us.
3. A habit does not a monk make.
4. Tell the truth and shame the devil.
5. When I drink, I think; and when I think, I drink.
6. Keep running after a dog and he will never bite you.
7. A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit.
8. If the skies fall, one may hope to catch larks.
9. If you wish to avoid seeing a fool, you must first break your mirror
10. Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective and valuable than words.

Francois Rabelais Short Quotes

• One falls to the ground in trying to sit on two stools.
• Science without conscience is the soul's perdition.
• I never sleep comfortably except when I am at sermon or when I pray to God.
• Debts and lies are generally mixed together.
• No clock is more regular than the belly.
• There are more old drunkards than old physicians.
• Frugality is for the vulgar.
• So much is a man worth as he esteems himself.
• A good intention does not mean honor. [Fr., A bon entendeur ne faut qu'un parole.]
• Machination is worth more than force.

Francois Rabelais Quotes About Nature

There is no truer cause of unhappiness amongst men than, where naturally expecting charity and benevolence, they receive harm and vexation. — Francois Rabelais

Nature abhors a vacuum. — Francois Rabelais

Nature made the day for exercise, work and seeing to one's business; and ... it provides us with a candle, which is to say the bright and joyous light of the sun. — Francois Rabelais

Such is the nature and make-up of the French that they are only good at the start. Then they are worse than devils, but, given time, they're less than women. — Francois Rabelais

Languages exist by arbitrary institutions and conventions among peoples; words, as the dialecticians tell us, do not signify naturally, but at our pleasure. — Francois Rabelais

If the head is lost, all that perishes is the individual; if the balls are lost, all of human nature perishes. — Francois Rabelais

Parisians are so besotted, so silly and so naturally inept that a street player, a seller of indulgences, a mule with its cymbals,a fiddler in the middle of a crossroads, will draw more people than would a good Evangelist preacher. — Francois Rabelais

Francois Rabelais Quotes About World

Remove idleness from the world and soon the arts of Cupid would perish. — Francois Rabelais

Half the world does not know how the other half lives. — Francois Rabelais

Can there be any greater dotage in the world than for one to guide and direct his courses by the sound of a bell, and not by his own judgment. — Francois Rabelais

Friends, you will notice that in this world there are many more ballocks than men. Remember this. — Francois Rabelais

When my soul leaves this human dwelling, I will not consider myself to have completely died, but to pass from one state to another, given that, in you and by you, I remain in my visible image in this world. — Francois Rabelais

Francois Rabelais Quotes About Drink

Appetite comes with eating.....but thirst goes away with drinking. — Francois Rabelais

I drink no more than a sponge. — Francois Rabelais

The remedy for thirst? It is the opposite of the one for a dog bite: run always after a dog, he'll never bite you; drink always before thirst, and it will never overtake you. — Francois Rabelais

Early rising is no pleasure; early drinking's just the measure. — Francois Rabelais

I drink eternally. For me it is an eternity of drinking, and a drinking up of eternity. — Francois Rabelais

Wait a second while I take a swig off this bottle: it's my true and only Helicon, my Caballine fount, my sole Enthusiasm. Here, drinking, I deliberate, I reason, I resolve and conclude. After the epilogue I laugh, I write, I compose, I drink. Ennius drinking would write, writing would drink. — Francois Rabelais

There are more old drunkards than old physicians. [Fr., Il y a plus de vieux ivrongnes qu'il y a de vieux medecins.] — Francois Rabelais

I never drink without a thirst, either present or future. — Francois Rabelais

I drink for the thirst to come. — Francois Rabelais

A little rain beats down a big wind. Long drinking bouts break open the tun(der). — Francois Rabelais

Francois Rabelais Quotes About Curtain

Draw the curtain, the fraud is over. — Francois Rabelais

I am going to seek a great purpose, draw the curtain, the farce is played. — Francois Rabelais

Bring down the curtain, the farce is over — Francois Rabelais

Francois Rabelais Famous Quotes And Sayings

You have no obligation under the sun other than to discover your real needs, to fulfill them, and to rejoice in doing so. — Francois Rabelais

It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth. — Francois Rabelais

The scent of wine, oh how much more agreeable, laughing, praying, celestial and delicious it is than that of oil! — Francois Rabelais

A war undertaken without sufficient monies has but a wisp of force. Coins are the very sinews of battles. — Francois Rabelais

Gargantua, at the age of four hundred four score and forty- four years begat his son Pantagruel, from his wife, named Badebec, daughter of the King of the Amaurotes in Utopia, who died in child-birth: because he was marvelously huge and so heavy that he could not come to light without suffocating his mother. — Francois Rabelais

The deed will be accomplished with the least amount of bloodshed possible, and, if possible ..., we'll save all the souls and send them happily off to their abode. — Francois Rabelais

How do you know antiquity was foolish? How do you know the present is wise? Who made it foolish? Who made it wise? — Francois Rabelais

The probity that scintillizes in the superfices of your persons informs my ratiocinating faculty, in a most stupendous manner, of the radiant virtues latent within the precious caskets and ventricles of your minds. — Francois Rabelais

I'd rather write about laughing than crying, For laughter makes men human, and courageous. — Francois Rabelais

It's a shame to be called "educated" those who do not study the ancient Greek writers. — Francois Rabelais

How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself? — Francois Rabelais

Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows continually through noble thought and memory. — Francois Rabelais

Because just as arms have no force outside if there is no counsel within a house, study is vain and counsel useless that is not put to virtuous effect when the time calls. — Francois Rabelais

Hungry bellies have no ears. [Fr., La ventre affame n'point d'oreilles.] — Francois Rabelais

I am going to seek a great perhaps. — Francois Rabelais

Petite ville, grand renom. Small town, great renown. — Francois Rabelais

Always open all gates and roads to your enemies, and rather make for them a bridge of silver, to get rid of them. [Fr., Ouvrez toujours a vos ennemis toutes les portes et chemin, et plutot leur faites un pont d'argent, afin de les renvoyer.] — Francois Rabelais

Misery is the company of lawsuits. — Francois Rabelais

He who has not an adventure has not horse or mule, so says Solomon.--Who is too adventurous, said Echephron,--loses horse and mule. — Francois Rabelais

He 63 ways of getting money, the most common, most honorable ones being staling, thieving, and robbing. — Francois Rabelais

It is the custom on Africa to always produce new and monstrous things. [Fr., Afrique est coustumiere toujours choses produire nouvelles et monstrueuses.] — Francois Rabelais

The Devil was sick - the Devil a monk would be, The Devil was well the devil a monk was he — Francois Rabelais

A bellyful is a bellyful. — Francois Rabelais

It is folly to put the plough in front of the oxen. — Francois Rabelais

I am going to seek a grand perhaps. — Francois Rabelais

Hungry bellies have no cars. — Francois Rabelais

Believe me, 'tis a godlike thing to lend; to owe is a heroic virtue. — Francois Rabelais

The farce is finished. I go to seek a vast perhaps. — Francois Rabelais

Against fortune the carter cracks his whip in vain. [Fr., Centre fortune, la diverse un chartier rompit nazardes son fouet.] — Francois Rabelais

I never sleep in comfort save when I am hearing a sermon or praying to God. — Francois Rabelais

In their rules there was only one clause: Do what you will. — Francois Rabelais

The appetite grows with eating. — Francois Rabelais

But where are the snows of last year? That was the greatest concern of Villon, the Parisian poet. — Francois Rabelais

A crier of green sauce. — Francois Rabelais

Appetite comes with eating. — Francois Rabelais

He that has patience may compass anything. — Francois Rabelais

I have known many who could not when they would, for they had not done it when they could. — Francois Rabelais

I owe much; I have nothing; the rest I leave to the poor. — Francois Rabelais

Few and signally blessed are those whom Jupiter has destined to be cabbage-planters. For they've always one foot on the ground andthe other not far from it. Anyone is welcome to argue about felicity and supreme happiness. But the man who plants cabbages I now positively declare to be the happiest of mortals. — Francois Rabelais

Don't limp in front of the lame. — Francois Rabelais

Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. — Francois Rabelais

Wisdom entereth not into a malicious mind. — Francois Rabelais

Indeed, said the monk, a mass, a matins, and vespers well rung are half-said. — Francois Rabelais

When undertaking marriage, everyone must be the judge of his own thoughts, and take counsel from himself. — Francois Rabelais

Because, according to the sage Solomon, wisdom does not enter into a soul that seeks after evil, and knowledge without conscienceis the ruin of the soul, it behooves you to serve, love and fear God and to put all your thoughts and hope in him, and by faith founded in charity, be joined to him, such that you never be separated from him by sin. — Francois Rabelais

Row on [whatever happens]. [Lat., Vogue la galere.] — Francois Rabelais

If you understand why a monkey in a family is always mocked and harassed, you understand why monks are rejected by all--both old and young. — Francois Rabelais

If you say to me: "Master, it would seem that you weren't too terribly wise to have written these bits of nonsense and pleasant mockeries," I respond that you are hardly more so in finding amusement in reading them. — Francois Rabelais

Not everyone is a debtor who wishes to be; not everyone who wishes makes creditors. — Francois Rabelais

To good and true love fear is forever affixed. — Francois Rabelais

The dress does not make the monk. [Fr., L'habit ne fait le moine.] — Francois Rabelais

One should never pursue the hazards of fortune to their very ends andit behooves all adventurers to treat their good luck with reverence, neither bothering nor upsetting it. — Francois Rabelais

How comes it that you curse, Frere Jean? It's only, said the monk, in order to embellish my language. They are the colors of Ciceronian rhetoric. — Francois Rabelais

I won't undertake war until I have tried all the arts and means of peace. — Francois Rabelais

Do not limp before the lame. [Old Fr., Ne clochez pas devant les boyteus.] — Francois Rabelais

War begun without good provision of money beforehand for going through with it is but as a breathing of strength and blast that will quickly pass away. Coin is the sinews of war. — Francois Rabelais

Bottle, whose Mysterious Deep Do's ten thousand Secrets keep, With attentive Ear I wait; Ease my Mind, and speak my Fate. — Francois Rabelais

Of a young hermit, an old devil. [Fr., De jeune hermite, vieil diable.] — Francois Rabelais

Pantagruelism is a certain gaitey of the spirit consisting in a disdain for the hazards of fortune. — Francois Rabelais

Never did a great man hate good wine. — Francois Rabelais

Do you know what Agelisas said, when he was asked why the great city of Lacedomonie was not girded with walls? Because, pointing out the inhabitants and citizens of the city, so expert in military discipline and so strong and well armed: "Here," he said, "are the walls of the city," meaning that there is no wall but of bones, and that towns and cities can have no more secure nor stronger wall than the virtue of their citizens and inhabitants. — Francois Rabelais

The right moment wears a full head of hair: when it has been missed, you can't get it back; it's bald in the back of the head and never turns around. — Francois Rabelais

What harm in learning and getting knowledge even from a sot, a pot, a fool, a mitten, or a slipper. [Fr., Que nuist savoir tousjours et tousjours apprendre, fust ce D'un sot, d'une pot, d'une que--doufle D'un mouffe, d'un pantoufle.] — Francois Rabelais

I urge you to spend your youth profitably in study and virtue.... In brief, let me see in you an abyss of knowledge. — Francois Rabelais

It is said, proverbially, that happy is the doctor who is called in when the disease is on its way out. — Francois Rabelais

A certain jollity of mind, pickled in the scorn of fortune. — Francois Rabelais

I know of a charm by way of a prayer that will preserve a man from the violence of guns and all manner of fire-weapons and engines but it will do me no good because I do not believe it — Francois Rabelais

From the gut comes the strut, and where hunger reigns, strength abstains. — Francois Rabelais

How can I govern others, who can't even govern myself? — Francois Rabelais

Between two stools one sits on the ground. — Francois Rabelais

Giving words [is] an act of lovers. — Francois Rabelais

I build only living stones--men. — Francois Rabelais

I'd gladly do without a valet. I'm never so well treated as when I'm without a valet. — Francois Rabelais

Oh how unhappy is the prince served by such men who are so easily corrupted. — Francois Rabelais

Life Lessons by Francois Rabelais

1. Francois Rabelais taught the importance of living life to the fullest and embracing laughter, joy, and pleasure. He believed that life should be enjoyed and that laughter is the best medicine.
2. He also stressed the importance of education and learning, and encouraged others to be curious and explore the world around them.
3. Finally, Rabelais believed in the power of the individual, and that no matter the circumstances, everyone has the potential to make a difference and make the world a better place.