Quotes from Jane Austen

Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honour and duty. Elinor, where is your heart?

Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves. You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.

Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.

I dearly love a laugh... I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can.

Let us have the luxury of silence.

But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea.

His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything.

There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.

I assure you. I have no notion of treating men with such respect. That is the way to spoil them.

Obstinate, headstrong girl!

If I could not be persuaded into doing what I thought wrong, I will never be tricked into it.

Why not seize the pleasure at once? -- How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!

Eleanor went to her room where she was free to think and be wretched.

I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own. He must enter in all my feelings; the same books, the same music must charm us both.

How little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue.

Mr. Darcy began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.

Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.

You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking;— if the first, I should be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.

Now I must give one smirk and then we may be rational again

To you I shall say, as I have often said before, Do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at last...

Badly done, Emma!

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart,' said she afterwards to herself.  'There is nothing to be compared to it.  Warmth and tenderness of heart, with an affectionate, open manner, will beat all the clearness of head in the world, for attraction: I am sure it will.

Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.

If there is any thing disagreeable going on, men are always sure to get out of it.