Quotes from Moliere

Let's leave his rank, then,—take the man himself:

It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.

si vous m'aimez, monsieur, vous devez vouloir tout ce que je veux.

A quienes me preguntan la razón de mis viajes les contesto que sé bien de qué huyo pero ignoro lo que busco

Men often swear to kill themselves, and yet Few of them, nowadays, make good their threat

But reason does not govern love.

Alle Menschen sind mir in solchem Maße verhasst, dass es mich ärgern würde, wenn ich in ihren Augen weise wäre

Je veux que l'on soit homme, et qu'en toute rencontre le fond de notre coeur dans nos discours se montre, que ce soit lui qui parle, et que nos sentiments ne se masquent jamais sous de vains compliments.

Oh, do not make me, by your harsh command, Complain to Heaven you ever were my father; Do not make wretched this poor life you gave me.

ORGON. Brother, your language smacks of atheism; And I suspect your soul's a little tainted Therewith. I've preached to you a score of times That you'll draw down some judgment on your head.

TARTUFFE. Love for the beauty of eternal things Cannot destroy our love for earthly beauty;

TARTUFFE. If Heaven is all that stands now in my way, I'll easily remove that little hindrance; Your heart need not hold back for such a trifle.

ELMIRE. But they affright us so with Heaven's commands! TARTUFFE. I can dispel these foolish fears, dear madam; I know the art of pacifying scruples Heaven forbids, 'tis true, some satisfactions; But we find means to make things right with Heaven.

La musique est accoutumée à ne point faire ce qu'on veut.

true heroes never are the ones Who make much noise about their deeds

Songez que les principes de votre vie sont en vous-même, et que le courroux de Monsieur Purgon est aussi peu capable de vous faire mourir que ses remèdes de vous faire vivre.

That there's a difference 'twixt false and true.

CLEANTE. Spoke like a true young man. Now just calm down, And moderate your towering tantrums, will you? We live in such an age, with such a king, That violence can not advance our cause.

I am strongly moved to fly into some desert to avoid all approach of human creatures

MADAME PERNELLE. For slanderers abound in calumnies . . . ORGON. Mother, you'd make me damn my soul. I tell you I saw with my own eyes his shamelessness. MADAME PERNELLE. Their tongues for spitting venom never lack, There's nothing here below they'll not attack. ORGON. Your speech has not a single grain of sense. I saw it, harkee, saw it, with these eyes I saw—d'ye know what saw means?—must I say it A hundred times, and din it in your ears?

To give good colour to his acts against you;

C'est une chose admirable, que tous les grands hommes ont toujours du caprice, quelque petit grain de folie mêlé à leur science.

Et leur conclusion fut, que vous feriez bien, De prendre moins de soin des actions des autres, Et de vous mettre, un peu, plus en peine des vôtres. Qu'on doit se regarder soi-même, un fort long temps, Avant que de songer à condamner les gens

Everything is equally endowed with great merit, so that it is no longer an honor to be lauded.