Quotes from Samuel Richardson

Both she and Lady L. are very urgent with me to shew them some of the letters in our correspondence; and Miss Grandison says, if that will encourage me to oblige them, they will shew me some of their brother's. — Who would not be tempted by such an exchange? I am more than half-afraid — But surely, in such an heap of stuff as I have written, there is something that I can read to them.

Can sensual pleasure be the great end of an immortal spirit in this life? That pleasure cannot be lasting, and it must be followed by remorse, which is obtained either by doing injustice to, or degrading, a fellow-creature. And does not a woman, when she forfeits her honour, degrade herself, not only in the sight of the world, but in the secret thoughts of even a profligate lover, destroying her own consequence with him?

One of the brides, I forget which, fainted away; another half-fainted — Sav'd by timely salts: The third, poor soul, wept heartily — as I suppose I shall do, on Tuesday.

I would no more renounce my Country than my Religion: I would leave posterity free; but would not deprive them of an attachment that I value myself upon: Nor yet my country, of a family that never gave it cause to be ashamed of it.

O my dear! a fond husband is a surfeiting thing; and yet I believe most women love to be made monkeys of.

Chi dubita di se stesso di rado sbaglia.

Il mondo forma i suoi giudizi sulle nostre azioni piuttosto dai fatti che da dove stia la ragione nei casi dubbi.

I mean not offence. I have done with that subject. My Lord, to be sure, has dominion over his bird. He can choose her cage. She has nothing to do, but sit and sing in it — when her instrument is mended, and in tune — He has but one fault. He is too good-natured to his bird. But would he take your advice, madam —

Dear creature, be good. Dear creature, make Lord G. happy. I am like a builder, madam. I am digging for a foundation. There is a good deal of rubbishy humours to remove; a little swampiness of soil: And I am only removing it, and digging deeper, to make my foundation sure. Take care, take care, niece: You may dig too deep. There may be springs: You may open, and never be able to stop them, till they have sapped your foundation. Take care, niece.

What, my good Sir, is this span of life, that a passenger through it should seek to overturn the interests of others to establish her own? And can the single life be a grievance? Can it be destitute of the noblest tendernesses?

Rakish men make not either good husbands, or good fathers; nor yet good brothers. — But, no wonder! The narrow-hearted creatures centre all their delight in themselves.

Ah, Sir, said she, a man of your observation must know, that the daughters of a decayed family of some note in the world, do not easily get husbands. Men of great fortunes look higher: Men of small must look out for wives to enlarge them; and men of genteel businesses are afraid of young women better born than portioned. Every-body knows not that my girls can bend to their condition; and they must be contented to live single all their lives;

But I have no patience with you, sinner as you are against light, and better knowlege! and derider of the infirmities, not of old maids, but of old age! — Don't you hope to live long, yourself?

Mr. Reeves told me, that I should find the Baronet a very troublesome and resolute Lover, if I did not give him countenance. And so, Sir, said I, you would have me do, as I have heard many a good woman has done, marry a man, in order to get rid of his importunity. And a certain cure too, let me tell you, cousin, said he, smiling.

A man of his fortune to be refused, by a Lady who had not (and whom he wished not to have) an answerable fortune, and no preserable liking to any other man [There Sir Hargrave was mistaken; for I like almost every man I know, better than him]; his person not contemptible [And then, my cousin says, he surveyed himself from head to foot in the glass]; was very, very unaccountable.

What a fatality! Every one to mean well, yet every one to be miserable! and can Religion be the cause of so much unhappiness? I cannot act. I can only reflect.

You cannot suppose me too bad a man, in a Christian sense. Thank God, I am a Christian in belief, tho' I have been a Devil in practice. You are a heavenly-minded man; give me words which may go to my heart; and tell me what I shall say to my God.

A husband's mother and his wife had generally better be visitors than inmates

Upon my word, I believe, you men think, it is no matter for us women to have any consciences, so as we do but study your wills, and do our duty by you. Men look upon themselves as gods of the earth, and on us women but as their ministring servants! — But I did not expect that you would be so unreasonable.

You value yourself upon your fortune, Sir — Only, as it gives me power to make you happy. Riches never yet, of themselves, made any-body happy. I have already as great a fortune as I wish for. You think yourself polite

A beautiful woman must expect to be more accountable for her steps, than one less attractive.

It is much easier to find fault with others, than to be faultless ourselves.

And his superior excellence, like sunshine, breaking out on a sudden, finds out, and brings to sight, those spots and freckles, that were hardly before discoverable.

La mia anima ha la stessa importanza dell'anima di una principessa, anche se come rango io mi trovo alla pari del più umile schiavo.