John Vanbrugh Quotes

• Once a woman has given you her heart, you can never get rid of the rest of her.

  John Vanbrugh

  Sex, Heart, Given

  William. II Congreve William Wycherley (John Vanbrugh and Farquhar George), William. II Wycherley, William Congreve, George Farquhar, John Vanbrugh (1840). “Dramatic Works with Biographical and Critical Notices by Leigh Hunt. - London, Moxon 1840”, p.314

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• Good manners and soft words have brought many a difficult thing to pass.

  John Vanbrugh

  Justice, Good Man, Ethics

  John Vanbrugh (1730). “Esop. [By Sir John Vanbrugh.]”, p.54

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• Virtue is its own reward. There's a pleasure in doing good which sufficiently pays itself.

  John Vanbrugh

  History, Pay, Rewards

  William. II Congreve William Wycherley (John Vanbrugh and Farquhar George), William. II Wycherley, William Congreve, George Farquhar, John Vanbrugh (1840). “Dramatic Works with Biographical and Critical Notices by Leigh Hunt. - London, Moxon 1840”, p.328

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• He laughs best who laughs last.

  John Vanbrugh

  Laughter, Laughing, Lasts

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• Thinking is to me the greatest fatigue in the world.

  John Vanbrugh

  Thinking, World, Fatigue

  'The Relapse' (1696) act 2, sc. 1

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• Custom, madam, is the law of fools, but it shall never govern me.

  John Vanbrugh

  Law, Fool, Customs

  John Bell, Joseph Addison, Michael Arne, John Banks, Susanna Centlivre (1791). “British Theatre: Bold stroke for a wife”

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• A slighted woman knows no bounds.

  John Vanbrugh

  Knows, Bounds, Slighted

  Sir John Vanbrugh, Thomas Betterton, Molière (1795). “The mistake: a comedy”, p.27

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• No man is worth having is true to his wife, or can be true to his wife, or ever was, or ever will be so.

  John Vanbrugh

  Men, Wife, Infidelity

  'The Relapse' (1696) act 3, sc. 2

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• The want of a thing is perplexing enough, but the possession of it, is intolerable.

  John Vanbrugh

  Desire, Want, Enough

  'The Confederacy' (1705) act 1, sc. 2

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• Friendship's said to be a plant of tedious growth, its root composed of tender fibers, nice in their taste, cautious in spreading.

  John Vanbrugh

  Friendship, Nice, Roots

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1970). “The relapse”

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• Repentance for past crimes is just and easy; but sin-no-more's a task too hard for mortals

  John Vanbrugh

  Past, Tasks, Sin

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1759). “The life of Sir J. Vanbrugh The relapse; or, Virtue in danger. The provok'd wife, with a new scene. Æsop, in two parts. The false friend”, p.103

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• If women were humbler, men would be honester.

  John Vanbrugh

  Men, Would Be, Honest

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• Custom is the law of fools.

  John Vanbrugh

  Law, Fool, Customs

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• As if a woman of education bought things because she wanted 'em.

  John Vanbrugh

  Ems, Wanted, Ifs

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1989). “Four comedies”, Penguin Books

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• Let our weakness be what it will, mankind will still be weaker; and whilst there is a world, 'tis woman that will govern it.

  John Vanbrugh

  Women, Weakness, World

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1982). “The Provoked Wife”, p.114, Manchester University Press

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• You may build castles in the air, and fume, and fret, and grow thin and lean, and pale and ugly, if you please. But I tell you, no man worth having is true to his wife, or can be true to his wife, or ever was, or will be so.

  John Vanbrugh

  Men, Air, Wife

  William. II Congreve William Wycherley (John Vanbrugh and Farquhar George), William. II Wycherley, William Congreve, George Farquhar, John Vanbrugh (1840). “Dramatic Works with Biographical and Critical Notices by Leigh Hunt. - London, Moxon 1840”, p.317

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• Love's like virtue, its own reward.

  John Vanbrugh

  Love, Rewards, Virtue

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1982). “The Provoked Wife”, p.80, Manchester University Press

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• Tho marriage be a lottery in which there are a wondrous many blanks, yet there is one inestimable lot in which the only heaven on earth is written.

  John Vanbrugh

  Heaven, Earth, Written

  Colley Cibber, Sir Richard Steele, George Farquhar, sir John Vanbrugh, William Congreve (1765). “THE ENGLISH THEATRE IN EIGHT VOLUMES: CONTAINING The Most Valuable PLAYS Which Have Been Acted on the LONDON STAGE.. INCONSTANT. By Mr. Farzuhar ; LOVE FOR LOVE. By Mr. Congreve ; LOVE MAKES A MAN. By C. Cibber, Esq. ; LYING LOVER. By Sir Rich. Steele ; PROVOKED WIFE. By Sir John Vanbrugh. VOL. V.”

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• When debtors once have borrowed all we have to lend, they are very apt to grow shy of their creditors' company.

  John Vanbrugh

  Debtors, Shy, Creditors

  William. II Congreve William Wycherley (John Vanbrugh and Farquhar George), William. II Wycherley, William Congreve, George Farquhar, John Vanbrugh (1840). “Dramatic Works with Biographical and Critical Notices by Leigh Hunt. - London, Moxon 1840”, p.348

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• We gentlemen, whose chariot's roll only upon the four aces, are apt to have a wheel out of order.

  John Vanbrugh

  Order, Gentleman, Four

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• We're gaily yet, we're gaily yet,
  And we're not very fow, but we're gaily yet;
  Then set ye awhile, and tipple a bit,
  For we's not very fow, but we're gaily yet.

  John Vanbrugh

  Drinking, Bits

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• True virtue, wheresoever it moves, still carries an intrinsic worth about it.

  John Vanbrugh

  Moving, Virtue, Stills

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• Love, like virtue, is its own reward.

  John Vanbrugh

  Love, Rewards, Virtue

  Sir John Vanbrugh (1759). “The life of Sir J. Vanbrugh The relapse; or, Virtue in danger. The provok'd wife, with a new scene. Æsop, in two parts. The false friend”, p.137

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