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He that first cries out stop thief, is often he that has stolen the treasure.

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
Stop
Often
Thief
Firsts
Cries
First
Thieves
Stolen
Treasure
Honesty
Cry

More quotes by William Congreve

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Words are the weak support of cold indifference love has no language to be heard.
William Congreve
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Mr Witwould: Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies. Mrs Millamant: Only with those in verse.... I never pin up my hair with prose.
William Congreve
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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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One minute gives invention to destroy What to rebuild, will a whole age employ.
William Congreve
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Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear.
William Congreve
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To converse with Scandal is to play at Losing Loadum, you must lose a good name to him, before you can win it for yourself.
William Congreve
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Courtship is to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play.
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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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.
William Congreve
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I hope you do not think me prone to any iteration of nuptials.
William Congreve
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In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.
William Congreve
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O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell.
William Congreve
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Turn pimp, flatterer, quack, lawyer, parson, be chaplain to an atheist, or stallion to an old woman, anything but a poet for a poet is worse, more servile, timorous and fawning than any I have named.
William Congreve
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If happiness in self-content is placed, The wise are wretched, and fools only blessed.
William Congreve
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Defer not till to-morrow to be wise, To-morrow's Sun to thee may never rise Or should to-morrow chance to cheer thy sight With her enlivening and unlook'd for light, How grateful will appear her dawning rays! As favours unexpected doubly please.
William Congreve
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There is in true Beauty, as in Courage, somewhat which narrow Souls cannot dare to admire.
William Congreve
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You are a woman: you must never speak what you think your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words.
William Congreve
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There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion!
William Congreve
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Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.
William Congreve
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I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt, or of ill breeding.
William Congreve