Book cover: The Vicar of Wakefield

Book cover

Penguin

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Book cover

The Vicar of Wakefield

Oliver Goldsmith

Quotes

  1. By the living jingo, she was all of a muck of sweat.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  2. When lovely woman stoops to folly,

    And finds too late that men betray,

    What charm can soothe her melancholy,

    What art can wash her guilt away?

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  3. A kind and gentle heart he had,

    To comfort friends and foes;

    The naked every day he clad

    When he put on his clothes.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  4. We sometimes had those little rubs which Providence sends to enhance the value of its favors.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  5. To what happy accident is it that we owe so unexpected a visit?

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  6. And in that town a dog was found,

    As many dogs there be,

    Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound,

    And curs of low degree.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  7. I...chose a wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  8. And what is friendship but a name,

    A charm that lulls to sleep,

    A shade that follows wealth or fame,

    And leaves the wretch to weep?

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  9. Man wants but little here below,

    Nor wants that little long.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  10. I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  11. No flocks that range the valley free

    To slaughter I condemn;

    Taught by that Power that pities me,

    I learn to pity them:

    But from the mountain’s grassy side

    A guiltless feast I bring;

    A scrip with herbs and fruits supplied,

    And water from the spring.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  12. They would talk of nothing but high life, and high-lived company, with other fashionable topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  13. It seemed to be pretty plain, that they had more of love than matrimony in them.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  14. The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical dialogism, which in some measure proves that the essence of spirituality may be referred to the second predicable.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  15. I was ever of the opinion that the honest man who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued single, and only talked of population.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  16. The sigh that rends thy constant heart

    Shall break thy Edwin's too.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  17. Conscience is a coward, and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent it seldom has justice enough to accuse.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  18. It has been a thousand times observed, and I must observe it once more, that the hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  19. To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  20. Handsome is that handsome does.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  21. A book may be very amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  22. The dog, to gain some private ends,

    Went mad, and bit the man.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  23. That virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarce worth the sentinel.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  24. Turn, gentle Hermit of the Dale,

    And guide my lonely way

    To where yon taper cheers the vale

    With hospitable ray.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  25. Let us draw upon Content for the deficiencies of fortune.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  26. The only art her guilt to cover,

    To hide her shame from every eye,

    To give repentance to her lover,

    And wring his bosom——is to die.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield
  27. The man recovered of the bite,

    The dog it was that died.

    Book cover: The Vicar of WakefieldThe Vicar of Wakefield

That’s all the quotes.

27 quotes in the collection · come back when we add more