The voices / 134 fragments

Francis Quarles

1592 AD — 1644 AD

Listed in the author section of Bartlett’s ninth-edition anthology, in the linked 1905 printing. Dates reflect that historical edition and may differ from modern scholarship.

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Historical source references

Divine Poems (ed
Emblems
Associates · anthology attribution: Quarles
Children · anthology attribution: Quarles
Conscience · anthology attribution: Quarles
Drink · anthology attribution: Quarles
Example · anthology attribution: Quarles
Friendship · anthology attribution: Quarles
God · anthology attribution: Quarles
Gold · anthology attribution: Quarles
Humility · anthology attribution: Quarles
Love · anthology attribution: Quarles
Meditation · anthology attribution: Quarles
Present · anthology attribution: Quarles
Pride · anthology attribution: Quarles
Resignation · anthology attribution: Quarles
Silence · anthology attribution: Quarles
Sleep · anthology attribution: Quarles
Printed citation: Quarles
Saying 30 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 167 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 245 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 299 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 329 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 393 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 418 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Saying 573 · printed source label: Quarles · entry translator not specified
Number 376 · printed citation: Quarles
Number 862 · printed citation: Quarles
Number 1640 · printed citation: Quarles

Archive entries

01c. 1618 AD

Death aims with fouler spite At fairer marks.

Francis Quarles / quote

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02c. 1618 AD

Sweet Phosphor, bring the day Whose conquering ray May chase these fogs; Sweet Phosphor, bring the day! Sweet Phosphor, bring the day! Light will repay The wrongs of night; Sweet Phosphor, bring the day!

Francis Quarles / quote

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03c. 1618 AD

Be wisely worldly, be not worldly wise.

Francis Quarles / quote

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04c. 1618 AD

This house is to be let for life or years; Her rent is sorrow, and her income tears. Cupid, 't has long stood void; her bills make known, She must be dearly let, or let alone.

Francis Quarles / quote

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05c. 1618 AD

The slender debt to Nature 's quickly paid, Discharged, perchance, with greater ease than made.

Francis Quarles / quote

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06c. 1618 AD

The next way home 's the farthest way about.

Francis Quarles / quote

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07c. 1618 AD

It is the lot of man but once to die.

Francis Quarles / quote

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08Undated

Be very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure; in the society of thy superiors thou shalt find more profit. To be the best in the company is the way to grow worse; the best means to grow better is to be the worst there.

Francis Quarles / quote

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09Undated

Be very vigilant over thy child in the April of his understanding, lest the frost of May nip his blossoms. While he is a tender twig, straighten him; whilst he is a new vessel, season him; such as thou makest him, such commonly shalt thou find him. Let his first lesson be obedience, and his second shall be what thou wilt.

Francis Quarles / quote

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10Undated

In the commission of evil, fear no man so much as thyself; another is but one witness against thee, thou art a thousand; another thou mayest avoid, thyself thou canst not. Wickedness is its own punishment.

Francis Quarles / quote

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11Undated

Of all vices take heed of drunkenness; other vices are but fruits of disordered affections—this disorders, nay, banishes reason; other vices but impair the soul—this demolishes her two chief faculties, the understanding and the will; other vices make their own way—this makes way for all vices; he that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.

Francis Quarles / quote

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12Undated

Beware of drunkenness, lest all good men beware of thee; where drunkenness reigns, there reason is an exile, virtue a stranger, God an enemy; blasphemy is wit, oaths are rhetoric, and secrets are proclamations.

Francis Quarles / quote

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13Undated

If thou desire to see thy child virtuous, let him not see his father's vices; thou canst not rebuke that in children that they behold practised in thee; till reason be ripe, examples direct more than precepts; such as thy behavior is before thy children's faces, such commonly is theirs behind their parents' backs.

Francis Quarles / quote

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14Undated

That friendship will not continue to the end that is begun for an end.

Francis Quarles / quote

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15Undated

In all thy actions think God sees thee; and in all His actions labor to see Him; that will make thee fear Him; this will move thee to love Him; the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, and the knowledge of God is the perfection of love.

Francis Quarles / quote

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16Undated

Gold is Cæsar's treasure, man is God's; thy gold hath Cæsar's image, and thou hast God's; give, therefore, those things unto Cæsar which are Cæsar's, and unto God which are God's.

Francis Quarles / quote

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17Undated

If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble; for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, so it is beloved of none but by itself; the voice of humility is God's music, and the silence of humility is God's rhetoric. Humility enforces where neither virtue nor strength can prevail nor reason.

Francis Quarles / quote

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18Undated

If thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbor, in vain thou professest thy love to God; for by thy love to God the love to thy neighbor is begotten, and by the love to thy neighbor, thy love to God is nourished.

Francis Quarles / quote

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19Undated

Meditation is the life of the soul; action is the soul of meditation; honor is the reward of action; so meditate, that thou mayst do; so do, that thou mayst purchase honor; for which purchase, give God the glory.

Francis Quarles / quote

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20Undated

Make use of time, if thou lovest eternity; know yesterday cannot be recalled, to-morrow cannot be assured: to-day is only thine; which if thou procrastinate, thou losest; which lost, is lost forever: one to-day is worth two to-morrows.

Francis Quarles / quote

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21Undated

Charity feeds the poor, so does pride; charity builds an hospital, so does pride. In this they differ: charity gives her glory to God; pride takes her glory from man.

Francis Quarles / quote

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22Undated

If God send thee a cross, take it up willingly and follow him. Use it wisely, lest it be unprofitable. Bear it patiently, lest it be intolerable. If it be light, slight it not. If it be heavy, murmur not. After the cross is the crown.

Francis Quarles / quote

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23Undated

If thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.

Francis Quarles / quote

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24Undated

Put off thy cares with thy clothes; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labor; and so shall thy labor sweeten thy rest.

Francis Quarles / quote

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Francis Quarles

Archive entries

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Meditations

Tao Te Ching

The Prophet