Quotes from Charles Kingsley

What I want is, not to possess religion, but to have a religion that shall possess me.

If you want to be miserable, think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you and what people think of you.

For science is ... like virtue, its own exceeding great reward.

Science frees us in many ways...from the bodily terror which the savage feels. But she replaces that, in the minds of many, by a moral terror which is far more overwhelming.

Life is too short for mean anxieties.

I have fought my fight, I have lived my life, I have drunk my share of wine; From Trier to Coln there was never a knight Led a merrier life than mine.

The righteousness which is by faith in Christ is a loving heart and a loving life, which every man will long to lead who believes really in Jesus Christ.

Do noble things, not dream them all day long: And so make Life, Death, and the vast Forever one grand, sweet song.

The world goes up and the world goes down, the sunshine follows the rain; and yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frown can never come over again.

There will be no true freedom without virtue, no true science without religion, no true industry without the fear of God and love to your fellow citizens.

Truth, for its own sake, had never been a virtue with the Roman clergy.

Pray over every truth; for though the renewed heart is not "desperately wicked," it is quite deceitful enough to become so, if God be forgotten a moment.

Love is sentimental measles.

Young blood must have its course, lad, and every dog its day.

Wherever is love and loyalty, great purposes and lofty souls, even though in a hovel or a mine, there is fairyland.

Love can make us fiends as well as angels.

Are gods more ruthless than mortals? Have they no mercy for youth? no love for the souls who have loved them?

Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! a message to us from... human souls we never saw... And yet these arouse us, terrify us, teach us, comfort us, open their hearts to us as brothers.

All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.

Do noble things, do not dream them all day long.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who can be clever.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever; Do noble things, not dream them all day long; And so make life, death, and that vast forever One grand, sweet song.

There's no use in doing a kindness if you do it a day too late.

He was one of those men, moreover, who possess almost every gift except the gift of the power to use them;