Quote

Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself. If thou find anything questionable there, use the commentary of a severe friend, rather than the gloss of a sweet-lipped flatterer there is more profit in a distasteful truth than in deceitful sweetness.

Francis Quarles

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Francis Quarles
Age: 52 †
Born: 1592
Born: May 8
Died: 1644
Died: September 8
Author
Poet
Writer
Havering
Men
Lying
Severe
Deceitful
Rather
Profit
Questionable
Read
Thou
Chiefly
Use
Friendship
Commentary
Truth
Sweet
Amongst
Lipped
Anything
Friend
Thyself
Flatterer
Find
Alone
Deceit
Distasteful
Book
Books
Sweetness
Gloss

More quotes by Francis Quarles

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Shine Son of glory, and my sinnes are goneLike twinkling Starres before the rising Sunne.
Francis Quarles
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In all thy actions think God sees thee and in all His actions labor to see Him that will make thee fear Him this will move thee to love Him the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, and the knowledge of God is the perfection of love.
Francis Quarles
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In thy apparel avoid singularity, profuseness, and gaudiness. Be not too early in the fashion, nor too late. Decency is half way between affectation and neglect. The body is the shell of the soul, apparel is the husk of that shell the husk often tells you what the kernel is.
Francis Quarles
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Reason can discover things only near,--sees nothing that's above her.
Francis Quarles
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It is no happiness to live long, nor unhappiness to die soon happy is he that hath lived long enough to die well.
Francis Quarles
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That action is not warrantable which either fears to ask the divine blessing on its performance, or having succeeded, does not come with thanksgiving to God for its success.
Francis Quarles
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Wickedness is its own punishment.
Francis Quarles
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Thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame where vain-glory commands, there folly counsels where pride rides, there shame lackeys.
Francis Quarles
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O lust, thou infernal fire, whose fuel is gluttony whose flame is pride, whose sparkles are wanton words whose smoke is infamy whose ashes are uncleanness whose end is hell.
Francis Quarles
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Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.
Francis Quarles
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In the height of thy prosperity expect adversity, but fear it not. If it come not, thou art the more sweetly possessed of the happiness thou hast, and the more strongly confirmed. If it come, thou art the more gently dispossessed of the happiness thou hadst, and the more firmly prepared.
Francis Quarles
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Tis not, to cry God mercy, or to sit And droop, or to confess that thou hast fail'd: 'Tis to bewail the sins thou didst commit: And not commit those sins thou hast bewail' d. He that bewails and not forsakes them too Confesses rather what he means to do.
Francis Quarles
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Of all vices take heed of drunkenness other vices are but fruits of disordered affections--this disorders, nay, banishes reason other vices but impair the soul--this demolishes her two chief faculties, the understanding and the will other vices make their own way--this makes way for all vices he that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.
Francis Quarles
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Heaven finds an ear when sinners find a tongue.
Francis Quarles
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Neutrality is dangerous, whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conqueror.
Francis Quarles
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Death aims with fouler spiteAt fairer marks.
Francis Quarles
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Thy ignorance in unrevealed mysteries is the mother of a saving faith, and thy understanding in revealed truths is the mother of a sacred knowledge understand not therefore that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand understanding is the wages of a lively faith and faith is the reward of an humble ignorance.
Francis Quarles
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Flatter not thyself in thy faith to God, if thou wantest charity for thy neighbor and think not thou halt charity for thy neighbor, if thou wantest faith to God where they are not both together, they are both wanting they are both dead, if once divided.
Francis Quarles
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Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity. Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward. Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand and a closed mouth.
Francis Quarles
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Physicians, of all men, are most happy whatever good success soever they have, the world proclaimeth and what faults they commit, the earth covereth.
Francis Quarles