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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

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William Congreve
Age: 58 †
Born: 1670
Born: January 24
Died: 1729
Died: January 19
Engineer
Librettist
Playwright
Poet
Translator
Writer
Enemy
Public
Halves
Pleasure
Tribute
Half
Domestic
Must
Secure
Would
Conscience
Honor
Pay

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Women like flames have a destroying power never to be quenched till they themselves devour.
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Every man plays the fool once in his live, but to marry is playing the fool all one's life long.
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A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.
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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.
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They are at the end of the gallery retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.
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'Tis well enough for a servant to be bred at an University. But the education is a little too pedantic for a gentleman.
William Congreve
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I know that’s a secret, for it’s whispered everywhere.
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Hannibal was a very pretty fellow in those days.
William Congreve
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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
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A hungry wolf at all the herd will run, In hopes, through many, to make sure of one.
William Congreve
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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.
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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!
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Beauty is the lover's gift.
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No mask like open truth to cover lies, As to go naked is the best disguise.
William Congreve
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Delay not till tomorrow to be wise tomorrow's sun to thee may neve rise.
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Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure Married in haste, we may repent at leisure.
William Congreve
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No, I'm no enemy to learning it hurts not me.
William Congreve
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O, she is the antidote to desire.
William Congreve
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I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.
William Congreve
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One minute gives invention to destroy What to rebuild, will a whole age employ.
William Congreve