Francis Quarles

Afflictions clarify the soul.

— Francis Quarles

Knowledge descries; wisdom applies.

— Francis Quarles

Wickedness is its own punishment.

— Francis Quarles

Toyish airs please trivial ears.

— Francis Quarles

No cross no crown.

— Francis Quarles

“My mind is my kingdom.”

— Francis Quarles

My mind's my kingdom.

— Francis Quarles

He that begins to live, begins to die.

— Francis Quarles

Even such is man, whose glory lendsHis life a blaze or two, and ends.

— Francis Quarles

Heaven is never deaf but when man's heart is dumb.

— Francis Quarles

Blessedness is promised to the peacemaker, not to the conqueror.

— Francis Quarles

And he repents in thorns that sleeps in beds of roses.

— Francis Quarles

Death aims with fouler spiteAt fairer marks.

— Francis Quarles

Nor fire, nor rocks, can stop our furious minds, Nor waves, nor winds.

— Francis Quarles

The next way home's the farthest way about.

— Francis Quarles

To fear death is the way to live long; to lie afraid of death is to be long a dying.

— Francis Quarles

The heart is a small thing, but desireth great matters. It is not sufficient for a kite's dinner, yet the whole world…

— Francis Quarles

Take heed thou trust not the deceitful lap Of wanton Dalilah; the world's a trap.

— Francis Quarles

Sweet tastes have sour closes; and he repents on thorns that sleeps in beds of roses.

— Francis Quarles

Let all thy joys be as the month of May,And all thy days be as a marriage day.

— Francis Quarles

Lust is a sharp spur to vice, which always putteth the affections into a false gallop.

— Francis Quarles

The voice of humility is God's music, and the silence of humility is God's rhetoric.

— Francis Quarles

No man is born unto himself alone; Who lives unto himself, he lives to none.

— Francis Quarles

If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is…

— Francis Quarles

They who cannot be induced to fear for love will never be enforced to love for fear. Love opens the heart, fear…

— Francis Quarles

Be very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure; in the…

— Francis Quarles

Think not thy love to God merits God's love to thee; His acceptance of thy duty crowns His own gifts in thee;…

— Francis Quarles

Before thou reprehend another, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot…

— Francis Quarles

If thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbor, in vain thou professest thy love to God; for by thy love to God,…

— Francis Quarles

Hath any wronged thee? be bravely revenged; slight it, and the work is begun; forgive it, and it is finished; he is…

— Francis Quarles

See, here's a shadow found; the human nature Is made th' umbrella to the Deity, To catch the sunbeams of thy just…

— Francis Quarles

Prize not thyself by what thou hast, but by what thou art; he that values a jewel by her golden frame, or…

— Francis Quarles

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…

— Francis Quarles

Be not too slow in the breaking of a sinful custom; a quick, courageous resolution is better than a gradual deliberation; in…

— Francis Quarles

If thy faith have no doubts, thou has just cause to doubt thy faith; and if thy doubts have no hope, thou…

— Francis Quarles

In the height of thy prosperity expect adversity, but fear it not. If it come not, thou art the more sweetly possessed…

— Francis Quarles

Yet, sluggard, wake, and gull thy soul no more With earth's false pleasures, and the world's delight, Whose fruit is fair and…

— Francis Quarles

I here present thee with a hive of bees, laden some with wax, and some with honey. Fear not to approach! there…

— Francis Quarles

Alas! fond child, How are thy thoughts beguil'd To hope for honey from a nest of wasps? Thou may'st as well Go…

— Francis Quarles

I wish thee as much pleasure in the reading, as I had in the writing.

— Francis Quarles