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I know not what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a secret, overruling decree, that hurries us on to be the instruments of our own destruction, even though it be before us, and that we rush upon it with our eyes open.

Daniel Defoe

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Daniel Defoe
Age: 70 †
Born: 1660
Born: September 30
Died: 1731
Died: April 24
Businessperson
Journalist
Novelist
Opinion Journalist
Poet
Prosaist
Publicist
Publisher
Writer
London
England
Daniel Foe
Call
Urge
Though
Rush
Upon
Urges
Eye
Instruments
Even
Destruction
Open
Overruling
Eyes
Hurries
Secret
Decree

More quotes by Daniel Defoe

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It is men of desperate fortunes on the one hand, or of aspiring, superior fortunes on the other, who go abroad upon adventures, to rise by enterprise, and make themselves famous in undertakings of a nature out of the common road.
Daniel Defoe
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Never, ladies, marry a fool. Any husband rather than a fool. With some other husband you may be unhappy, but with a fool you will be miserable.
Daniel Defoe
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No shoots, says Friday, no yet, me shoot now, me no kill me stay, give you one more laugh.
Daniel Defoe
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A rich man is an honest man--no thanks to him for he would be a double knave, to cheat mankind when he had no need of it: he has no occasion to press upon his integrity, nor so much as to touch upon the borders of dishonesty.
Daniel Defoe
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Alas the Church of England! What with Popery on one hand, and schismatics on the other, how has she been crucified between two thieves!
Daniel Defoe
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How strange a checker-work of Providence is the life of man!
Daniel Defoe
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Thus fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself when apparent to the eyes and we find the burden of anxiety greater, by much, than the evil which we are anxious about.
Daniel Defoe
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The Dutch must be understood as they really are, the Middle Persons in Trade, the Factors and Brokers of Europe... they buy to sell again, take in to send out again, and the greatest Part of their vast Commerce consists in being supply'd from All Parts of the World, that they may supply All th World Again.
Daniel Defoe
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Wherever God erects a house of prayer the Devil always builds a chapel there And 't will be found, upon examination, the latter has the largest congregation.
Daniel Defoe
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Nature has left this tincture in the blood, That all men would be tyrants if they could.
Daniel Defoe
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Wit, like the Belly, if it be not fed, Will starve the Members, and distract the Head.
Daniel Defoe
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Call upon me in the Day of Trouble, and I will deliver, and thou shalt glorify me...Wait on the Lord, and be of good Cheer, and he shall strengthen thy Heart wait, I say, on the Lord:' It is impossible to express the Comfort this gave me. In Answer, I thankfully laid down the Book, and was no more sad, at least, not on that Occasion.
Daniel Defoe
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Redemption from sin is greater then redemption from affliction.
Daniel Defoe
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Self-destruction is the effect of cowardice in the highest extreme.
Daniel Defoe
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He look'd a little disorder'd, when he said this, but I did not apprehend any thing from it at that time, believing as it us'd to be said, that they who do those things never talk of them or that they who talk of such things never do them.
Daniel Defoe
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Necessity makes an honest man a knave.
Daniel Defoe
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I could not forbear getting up to the top of a little mountain, and looking out to sea, in hopes of seeing a ship : then fancy that, at a vast distance, I spied a sail, please myself with the hopes of it, and, after looking steadily, till I was almost blind, lose it quite, and sit down and weep like a child, and thus increase my misery by my folly.
Daniel Defoe
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No man commits evil for the sake of it even the Devil himself has some farther design in sinning, than barely the wicked part of it.
Daniel Defoe
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It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that were worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complaining.
Daniel Defoe
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Avery fine city the four principal streets are the fairest for breadth, and the finest built that I have ever seen in one city together? In a word,'tis the cleanest and beautifullest, and best built city in Britain, London excepted.
Daniel Defoe