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A despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil his actions may weave the webs of Fortune, but not break them.

Francis Quarles

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Francis Quarles
Age: 52 †
Born: 1592
Born: May 8
Died: 1644
Died: September 8
Author
Poet
Writer
Havering
True
Approaching
May
Prophet
Heart
Actions
Despair
Fortune
Break
Webs
Evil
Despairing
Action
Weave

More quotes by Francis Quarles

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O who would trust this world, or prize what's in it, That gives and takes, and chops and changes, ev'ry minute?
Francis Quarles
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Heaven is never deaf but when man's heart is dumb.
Francis Quarles
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Gold is Caesar's treasure, man is God's thy gold hath Caesar's image, and thou hast God's.
Francis Quarles
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Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it he that fears not gives advantage to the danger it is less folly not to endeavor the prevention of the evil thou fearest than to fear the evil which thy endeavor cannot prevent.
Francis Quarles
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The strong desires of man's insatiate breast may stand possess'd Of all that earth can give but earth can give no rest.
Francis Quarles
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If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where neither virtue, nor strength, nor reason can prevail.
Francis Quarles
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I'll ne'er distrust my God for cloth and bread while lilies flourish and the raven 's fed.
Francis Quarles
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Poor thieves in halters we behold And great thieves in their chains of gold.
Francis Quarles
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For trash and toys, And grief-engend'ring joys, What torment seems too sharp for flesh and blood What bitter pills, Compos'd of real ills, Men swallow down to purchase one false good!
Francis Quarles
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The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The Levites are Correctors Heaven Revises. Death is the common Press, from whence being driven, We're gather'd, Sheet by Sheet, and bound for Heaven.
Francis Quarles
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Afflictions clarify the soul.
Francis Quarles
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If thou wouldst be justified, acknowledge thine injustice. He that confesses his sin, begins his journey toward salvation. He that is sorry for it, mends his pace. He that forsakes it, is at his journey's end.
Francis Quarles
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Death aims with fouler spiteAt fairer marks.
Francis Quarles
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Every man's vanity ought to be his greatest shame and every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret.
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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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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Let the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the least part of what thou believest, lest the greater part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true.
Francis Quarles
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Neutrality is dangerous, whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conqueror.
Francis Quarles
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Hath fortune dealt thee ill cards? let wisdom make thee a good gamester. In a fair gale, every fool may sail, but wise behavior in a storm commends the wisdom of a pilot to bear adversity with an equal mind is both the sign and glory of a brave spirit.
Francis Quarles
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If thou desire to purchase honor with thy wealth, consider first how that wealth became thine if thy labor got it, let thy wisdom keep it if oppression found it, let repentance restore it if thy parent left it, let thy virtues deserve it so shall thy honor be safer, better and cheaper.
Francis Quarles