Daniel Defoe Quotes

66 quotes in 884 categories

• For sudden Joys, like Griefs, confound at first.
• Those people cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them because they see and covet what He has not given them. All of our discontents…
• I have since often observed, how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is, especially of youth ... that they are not ashamed to…
• ...in the course of our lives, the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into, is the…
• It is never too late to be wise.
• I saw the Cloud, though I did not foresee the Storm.
• Thus fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself when apparent to the eyes ; and we find the burden of…
• Thus we never see the true state of our condition till it is illustrated to us by its contraries, nor know how to value what…
• It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition…
• This grieved me heartily ; and now I saw, though too late, the folly of beginning a work before we count the cost, and before…
• I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather…
• These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of Providence to me, and very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships and…
• I know not what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a secret, overruling decree, that hurries us on to be the…
• All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them, and with what worse attends them.
• I could not forbear getting up to the top of a little mountain, and looking out to sea, in hopes of seeing a ship :…
• He look'd a little disorder'd, when he said this, but I did not apprehend any thing from it at that time, believing as it us'd…
• I am giving an account of what was, not of what ought or ought not to be.
• Redemption from sin is greater then redemption from affliction.
• I smil'd to my self at the sight of this money, O drug! said I aloud, what art thou good for? Thou art not worth…
• I had been tricked once by that Cheat called love, but the Game was over...

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