80+ William Congreve Quotes On Marriage, Romantic And Satirical

William Congreve was an English poet and playwright of the Restoration period. He is best known for his comedies of manners such as The Way of the World and The Mourning Bride. Congreve was an important literary figure of the late 17th and early 18th centuries and is considered one of the last great authors of the Restoration Age. Following is our collection on famous quotes by William Congreve on marriage, romantic, satirical.

Top 10 William Congreve Quotes

1. Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
2. Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, Which, to admire, we should not understand
3. 'Tis well enough for a servant to be bred at an University. But the education is a little too pedantic for a gentleman.
4. Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.
5. Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.
6. I find we are growing serious, and then we are in great danger of being dull.
7. Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.
8. Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants.
9. In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.
10. Nothing but you can lay hold of my mind, and that can lay hold of nothing but you.

William Congreve Short Quotes

• Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.
• Delay not till tomorrow to be wise; tomorrow's sun to thee may neve rise.
• No mask like open truth to cover lies, As to go naked is the best disguise.
• Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.
• I know that's a secret, for it's whispered everywhere.
• A little scorn is alluring.
• They come together like the Coroner's Inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week.
• I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar.
• Men are apt to offend ('tis true) where they find most goodness to forgive.
• I am a fool, I know it; and yet, Heaven help me, I'm poor enough to be a wit.

William Congreve Quotes About Marriage

Courtship to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play. — William Congreve

Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure. — William Congreve

Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root? — William Congreve

Though marriage makes man and wife one flesh, it leaves 'em still two fools. — William Congreve

Marriage indeed may qualify the fury of his passion, but it very rarely mends a man's manners. — William Congreve

William Congreve Quotes About Love

Love's but the frailty of the mind, When 'tis not with ambition joined; A sickly flame, which if not fed expires; And feeding, wastes in self-consuming fires. — William Congreve

If there's delight in love, 'Tis when I see that heart, which others bleed for, bleed for me. — William Congreve

But say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved. To pass our youth in dull indifference, to refuse the sweets of life because they once must leave us, is as preposterous as to wish to have been born old, because we one day must be old. — William Congreve

Love's but a frailty of the mind, When 'tis not with ambition joined. — William Congreve

Words are the weak support of cold indifference; love has no language to be heard. — William Congreve

Say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved. — William Congreve

I know a lady that loves to talk so incessantly, she won't give an echo fair play; she has that everlasting rotation of tongue that an echo must wait till she dies before it can catch her last words! — William Congreve

If this be not love, it is madness, and then it is pardonable. — William Congreve

William Congreve Quotes About Charms

Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.N.B.: This quote is commonly misquoted as savage beast. — William Congreve

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. I've read that things inanimate have moved, and, as with living souls, have been inform'd, by magic numbers and persuasive sound. — William Congreve

Music alone with sudden charms can bind The wand'ring sense, and calm the troubled mind. — William Congreve

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast... — William Congreve

William Congreve Famous Quotes And Sayings

She once used me with that insolence, that in revenge I took her to pieces; sifted her, and separated her failings; I studied 'em, and got 'em by rote. The catalogue was so large, that I was not without hopes, one day or other to hate her heartily. — William Congreve

Turn pimp, flatterer, quack, lawyer, parson, be chaplain to an atheist, or stallion to an old woman, anything but a poet; for a poet is worse, more servile, timorous and fawning than any I have named. — William Congreve

A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty. — William Congreve

Thus in this sad, but oh, too pleasing state! my soul can fix upon nothing but thee; thee it contemplates, admires, adores, nay depends on, trusts on you alone. — William Congreve

They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom. — William Congreve

She likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing that she despises. — William Congreve

Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with those in verse.... I never pin up my hair with prose." — William Congreve

There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion! — William Congreve

I hope you do not think me prone to any iteration of nuptials. — William Congreve

There are times when sense may be unseasonable, as well as truth. — William Congreve

All well bred persons lie - Besides, you are a woman; you must never speak what you think. — William Congreve

It is the business of a comic poet to paint the vices and follies of human kind. — William Congreve

He that first cries out stop thief, is often he that has stolen the treasure. — William Congreve

I nauseate walking; 'tis a country diversion, I loathe the country. — William Congreve

Defer not till to-morrow to be wise, To-morrow's Sun to thee may never rise; Or should to-morrow chance to cheer thy sight With her enlivening and unlook'd for light, How grateful will appear her dawning rays! As favours unexpected doubly please. — William Congreve

You are a woman: you must never speak what you think; your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words. — William Congreve

Guilt is ever at a loss, and confusion waits upon it; when innocence and bold truth are always ready for expression. — William Congreve

I know that's a secret, for it's whispered every where. — William Congreve

I am always of the opinion with the learned, if they speak first. — William Congreve

A woman only obliges a man to secrecy, that she may have the pleasure of telling herself. — William Congreve

Invention flags, his brain goes muddy, and black despair succeeds brown study. — William Congreve

O ay, letters - I had letters - I am persecuted with letters - I hate letters - nobody knows how to write letters; and yet one has 'em, one does not know why - they serve one to pin up one's hair. — William Congreve

O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell. — William Congreve

O, nothing is more alluring than a levee from a couch in some confusion. — William Congreve

Would any thing but a madman complain of uncertainty? Uncertainty and expectation are joys of life; security is an insipid thing; and the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly of the chase. — William Congreve

Whoever is king, is also the father of his country. — William Congreve

Hannibal was a very pretty fellow in those days. — William Congreve

I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt, or of ill breeding. — William Congreve

Who pleases one against his will. — William Congreve

Let us be very strange and well-bred:Let us be as strange as if we had been married a great while;And as well-bred as if we were not married at all. — William Congreve

Honor is a public enemy, and conscience a domestic, and he that would secure his pleasure, must pay a tribute to one and go halves with t'other. — William Congreve

To converse with Scandal is to play at Losing Loadum, you must lose a good name to him, before you can win it for yourself. — William Congreve

Women like flames have a destroying power; never to be quenched till they themselves devour. — William Congreve

These articles subscribed, if I continue to endure you a little longer, I may by degrees dwindle into wife. — William Congreve

Some by experience find those words mis-placed: At leisure married, they repent in haste. — William Congreve

How hard a thing 'twould be to please you all. — William Congreve

Every man plays the fool once in his live, but to marry is playing the fool all one's life long. — William Congreve

One minute gives invention to destroy; What to rebuild, will a whole age employ. — William Congreve

Beauty is the lover's gift. — William Congreve

If happiness in self-content is placed, The wise are wretched, and fools only blessed. — William Congreve

O, she is the antidote to desire. — William Congreve

There are come Critics so with Spleen diseased, They scarcely come inclining to be pleased: And sure he must have more than mortal Skill, Who please one against his Will. — William Congreve

To find a young fellow that is neither a wit in his own eye, nor a fool in the eye of the world, is a very hard task. — William Congreve

Life Lessons by William Congreve

1. William Congreve's works emphasize the importance of living life to the fullest and cherishing the moments we have with those we love.
2. He also encourages us to never give up on our dreams and to strive for greatness in all we do.
3. Lastly, Congreve's works remind us to be kind and compassionate to others and to always be grateful for the blessings in our lives.