Quotes from Henry Fielding

Indeed, if this woman had lived in the reign of James the First, her appearance alone would have hanged her, almost without any evidence.

Conscience - the only incorruptible thing about us

Henry Fielding's first novel was published in April 1741 under the name of Mr. Conny Keyber and sold for one shilling and sixpence. Although the author never owned to writing the short satirical novel, it is widely considered to be his work. An Apology for the Life of Mrs Shamela Andrews is a direct attack on the contemporary novel Pamela, published in November 1740, by Fielding's rival Samuel Richardson.

The extremes of grief and joy have been remarked to produce very similar effects; and when either of these rushes on us by surprize, it is apt to create such a total perturbation and confusion, that we are often thereby deprived of the use of all our faculties.

Well, says Susan, then I must not believe my own eyes. No, indeed, must you not always, answered her mistress; I would not have believed my own eyes against such good gentlefolks.

In reality, he imagined so many spirits or devils were handling him; for his imagination being possessed with the horror of an apparition, converted every object he saw or felt into nothing but ghosts and spectres.

the pleasures of the world are chiefly folly, and the business of it mostly knavery, and both nothing better than vanity; the men of pleasure tearing one another to pieces from the emulation of spending money, and the men of business from envy in getting it.

but doth not the person who expends vast sums in the furniture of his house or the ornaments of his person, who consumes much time and employs great pains in dressing himself, or who thinks himself paid for self-denial, labour, or even villany, by a title or a ribbon, sacrifice as much to vanity as the poor wit who is desirous to read you his poem or his play?

for love may again be likened to a disease in this, that when it is denied a vent in one part, it will certainly break out in another.

all those who get their livelihood by people of fashion, contract as much insolence to the rest of mankind, as if they really belonged to that rank themselves.

It is not from nature, but from education and habits, that our wants are chiefly derived.

Handsome is that handsome does.

The only incorruptible thing about us.

He that can heroically endure adversity will bear prosperity with equal greatness of soul; for the mind that cannot be dejected by the former is not likely to be transported with the later.

Worth begets in base minds, envy; in great souls, emulation.

Thwackum was for doing justice, and leaving mercy to heaven.

This story will never go down.

Happy the man, and happy he alone He can call today his own. He who, secure within can say, "Tomorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived today."

Where the law ends tyranny begins.

The prudence of the best heads is often defeated by tenderness of the best hearts.

His designs were strictly honourable as the phrase is: that is to rob a lady of her fortune by way of marriage.

Most men like in women what is most opposite their own characters.

It is much easier to make good men wise, than to make bad men good.

Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.