Quotes from John Gay

What will not luxury taste? Earth, sea, and air, Are daily ransack'd for the bill of fare. Blood stuffed in skins is British Christians' food, And France robs marshes of the croaking brood.

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.

The brave Love mercy, and delight to save.

To cheat a man is nothing; but the woman must have fine parts, indeed, who cheats a woman.

Fools may our scorn, not envy, raise. For envy is a kind of praise.

Thus shadow owes its birth to light.

If the heart of a man is depressed with cares, The mist is dispelled when a woman appears.

Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toilO'er books consumed the midnight oil?

Life is a jest; and all things show it.I thought so once; but now I know it.

Youth's the season made for joys,Love is then our duty.

I hate the man who builds his nameOn ruins of another's fame.

If with me you'd fondly stray.Over the hills and far away.

Man may escape from rope and gun;Nay, some have outliv'd the doctor's pill:Who takes a woman must be undone,That basilisk is sure to kill.The fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweets,So he that tastes woman, woman, woman,He that tastes woman, ruin meets.

From wine what sudden friendship springs!

Follow love and it will flee, flee love and it will follow thee.

The coquets of both sexes are self-lovers, and that is a love no other whatever can dispossess.

Excuse me, then! you know my heart; But dearest friends, alas! must part.

In every age and clime we seeTwo of a trade can never agree.

When we risk no contradiction,It prompts the tongue to deal in fiction.

And when a lady's in the case,You know all other things give place.

A fox may steal your hens, Sir, a whore your health and pence, Sir, your daughter rob your chest, Sir, your wife may steal your rest, Sir, a thief your goods and plate. But this is all but picking, with rest, pence, chest and chicken; it ever was decreed, Sir, if lawyer's hand is feed, Sir, he steals your whole estate.

An open foe may prove a curse, but a pretended friend is worse.

But his kiss was so sweet, and so closely he pressed, that I languished and pined till I granted the rest.

Can you support the expense of a husband, hussy, in gaming, drinking and whoring? Have you money enough to carry on the daily quarrels of man and wife about who shall squander most?