Quotes from Marie Corelli

Had any one dared to say this truth to me then, I should have bade him go and preach nonsense to children,—but now,—when I recall those white leaves of days that were unrolled before me fresh and blank with every sunrise, and with which I did nothing save scrawl my own Ego in a foul smudge across each one, I tremble, and inwardly pray that I may never be forced to send back my self-written record!

Nothing is more strange than truth — nothing, at times, more terrible!

It is useless for you to consider the reason of this, or the meaning of that. Take things as they come in due order: one circumstance explains the other, and everything is always for the best.

I am told that it is no longer fashionable to believe in a devil — but I care nothing for fashion! A devil there is I am sure, who for some inscrutable reason has a share in the ruling of this planet — a devil who delights in mocking us from the cradle to the grave.

For is there any human sorrow so great that the blessing of mere daylight on the earth does not far exceed? We mortals are spoilt and petted children — the more gifts we have the more we crave; and when we burn or wound ourselves by our own obstinacy or carelessness, we are ungratefully prone to blame the Supreme Benefactor for our own faults.

I know that many men are living in the tangles of sin, but too weak of will to break the net in which they have become voluntarily imprisoned.

There never was a Christian save One, and He was crucified.

My friend, I assure you, if you have won a true woman's true love, you have a far greater fortune than your millions--a treasure that none can afford to despise.

the swinging pendulum of HUMAN WILL, which decides our fate. God does not choose for us, or compel our love — we are free to fashion out our own futures; but in making our final choice we cannot afford to waste one moment of our precious, unreturning time. MARIE CORELLI.

There, wealth is a god, and the greed of gain a virtue. There, genius starves, and heroism dies unrewarded. There, faith is martyred, and unbelief elected sovereign monarch of the people. There, the sublime, unreachable mysteries of the Universe are haggled over by poor finite minds who cannot call their lives their own. There, nation wars against nation, creed against creed, soul against soul. Alas, fated planet! how soon shalt thou be extinct, and thy place shall know thee no more!

A faithless and perverse generation asketh for a sign, and no sign shall be given unto them.

Never shall I forget the exquisite sensation I experienced! I can only describe it as the poor little Doll's Dressmaker in "Our Mutual Friend" described her angel visitants, her "blessed children," who used to come and "take her up and make her light.

Let us go hence and rest; she will not love. She shall not hear us if we sing hereof, Nor see love's ways, how sore they are and steep. Come hence, let be, lie still; it is enough. Love is a barren sea, bitter and deep; And though she saw all heaven in flower above,              She would not love!

There is no wealth but love.

When one loves God better than the Church is one called a heretic?

Pleasure for others is the only pleasure possible to me. I assure you I'm quite selfish! - I'm greedy for the happiness of those I love - and if they can't or won't be happy I'm perfectly miserable.

Love clamors far more incessantly and passionately at a closed gate than an open one!

What was the use of trying to expound a truth, if the majority preferred a lie?

It is not so difficult to win love as to keep it!

Fancy your having no sunshine in London yesterday! Here it was glorious, like full summer, and I sat up with the window wide open, listening to the discourse of two amorous thrushes.

Stretch out your hand! Let no human soul wait for a benediction.

I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home that answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog that growls every morning, a parrot that swears all afternoon, and a cat that comes home late at night.

How foolish it would be if women did not obey men. The world would be all confusion!

I entirely agree with you about the obscurity of Mrs Browning's line about the stars. It is far-fetched. She wanted to express something which she found beyond expression.