Quote

Be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom as it was gotten, so leave it by degrees. Danger attends upon too sudden alterations he that pulls down a bad building by the great may be ruined by the fall, but he that takes it down brick by brick may live to build a better.

Francis Quarles

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Francis Quarles
Age: 52 †
Born: 1592
Born: May 8
Died: 1644
Died: September 8
Author
Poet
Writer
Havering
Better
Build
Custom
Live
Danger
Bricks
Great
Building
Ruined
Attends
Leave
Customs
Rash
Takes
Sudden
Alterations
Upon
Breaking
Inconvenient
Fall
Gotten
Brick
May
Degrees
Pulls

More quotes by Francis Quarles

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Hath any wronged thee? be bravely revenged slight it, and the work is begun forgive it, and it is finished he is below himself that is not above an injury.
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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.
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Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, how to be free from it, that's the point. Necessity of action takes away the fear of the act, and makes bold resolution the favorite of fortune.
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If thou be rich, strive to command thy money, lest it command thee.
Francis Quarles
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God hath given to mankind a common library, His creatures to every man a proper book, himself being an abridgment of all others. If thou read with understanding, it will make thee a great master of philosophy, and a true servant of the divine Author: if thou but barely read, it will make thee thine own wise man and the Author's fool.
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See, here's a shadow found the human nature Is made th' umbrella to the Deity, To catch the sunbeams of thy just Creator Beneath this covert thou may'st safely lie.
Francis Quarles
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My mind's my kingdom.
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.
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Wouldst thou multiply thy riches? diminish them wisely or wouldst thou make thy estate entire? divide it charitably. Seeds that are scattered increase but, hoarded up, they perish.
Francis Quarles
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Deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend, and when thy impartial justice concludes him worthy of thy bosom, receive him joyfully, and entertain him wisely impart thy secrets boldly, and mingle thy thoughts with his: he is thy very self and use him so if thou firmly think him faithful, thou makest him so.
Francis Quarles
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Whosoever obeyeth the devil, casteth himself down: for the devil may suggest, compel he cannot.
Francis Quarles
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As there is no worldly gain without some loss, so there is no worldly loss without some gain.... Set the allowance against the loss, and thou shalt find no loss great.
Francis Quarles
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The average person's ear weighs what you are, not what you were.
Francis Quarles
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Take heed thou trust not the deceitful lap Of wanton Dalilah the world's a trap.
Francis Quarles
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Reason can discover things only near,--sees nothing that's above her.
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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He that discovers himself, till he hath made himself master of his desires, lays himself open to his own ruin, and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue.
Francis Quarles
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Things temporal are sweeter in the expectation, things eternal are sweeter in the fruition the first shames thy hope, the second crowns it it is a vain journey, whose end affords less pleasure than the way.
Francis Quarles
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Wisdom not only gets, but once got, retains.
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