William Congreve

She likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing that she despises.

You are a woman: you must never speak what you think; your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words.

Come, come, leave business to idlers, and wisdom to fools: they have need of 'em: wit be my faculty, and pleasure my occupation, and let father Time shake his glass.

A little disdain is not amiss; a little scorn is alluring.

A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.

No, I'm no enemy to learning; it hurts not me.

Wit must be foiled by wit: cut a diamond with a diamond.

'Tis well enough for a servant to be bred at an University. But the education is a little too pedantic for a gentleman.

I find we are growing serious, and then we are in great danger of being dull.

Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.

He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.

They come together like the Coroner's Inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week.

I know that's a secret, for it's whispered everywhere.

A hungry wolf at all the herd will run, In hopes, through many, to make sure of one.

I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.

Invention flags, his brain goes muddy, and black despair succeeds brown study.

To find a young fellow that is neither a wit in his own eye, nor a fool in the eye of the world, is a very hard task.

If this be not love, it is madness, and then it is pardonable.

In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.

They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.