Ernest Bramah Quotes

• A reputation for a thousand years may depend upon the conduct of a single moment.

  Ernest Bramah

  Single Mom, Years, Kaizen

  45 Copy quote

• There are few situations in life that cannot be resolved promptly, and to the satisfaction of all concerned, by either suicide, a bag of gold, or thrusting a despised antagonist over a precipice on a dark night

  Ernest Bramah

  Suicide, Dark, Night

  17 Copy quote

• The province of philosophy is not so much to prevent calamities befalling as to demonstrate that they are blessings when they have taken place.

  Ernest Bramah

  Philosophy, Taken, Blessing

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “The Complete Works of Ernest Bramah (Including Max Carrados Mysteries & Kai Lung Fantasy Series): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Bravo of London, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, The Secret of Dunstan's Tower, The Missing Witness Sensationäó_”, p.1330, e-artnow

  11 Copy quote

• One may ride upon a tiger's back but it is fatal to dismount.

  Ernest Bramah

  May, Tigers

  Ernest Bramah (1936). “The Kai Lung Omnibus”

  10 Copy quote

• How is it possible to suspend topaz in one cup of the balance and weigh it against amethyst in the other; or who in a single language can compare the tranquillizing grace of a maiden with the invigorating pleasure of witnessing a well-contested rat-fight?

  Ernest Bramah

  Fighting, Grace, Balance

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories (Including Max Carrados Mysteries and Kai Lung Fantasy Stories): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Mirror of Kong Ho and many more”, p.527, e-artnow

  10 Copy quote

• Although there exist many thousand subjects for elegant conversation, there are persons who cannot meet a cripple without talking about feet.

  Ernest Bramah

  Talking, Feet, Conversation

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories (Including Max Carrados Mysteries and Kai Lung Fantasy Stories): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Mirror of Kong Ho and many more”, p.194, e-artnow

  7 Copy quote

• He who has failed three times sets up as an instructor.

  Ernest Bramah

  Three, Three Times, Instructors

  Ernest Bramah (1936). “The Kai Lung Omnibus”

  6 Copy quote

• The one-legged never stumble.

  Ernest Bramah

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “The Complete Works of Ernest Bramah (Including Max Carrados Mysteries & Kai Lung Fantasy Series): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Bravo of London, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, The Secret of Dunstan's Tower, The Missing Witness Sensationäó_”, p.1106, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

• He who thinks he is raising a mound may only in Reality be digging a pit.

  Ernest Bramah

  Thinking, Reality, Digging

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories (Including Max Carrados Mysteries and Kai Lung Fantasy Stories): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Mirror of Kong Ho and many more”, p.375, e-artnow

  8 Copy quote

• When struck by a thunderbolt it is unnecessary to consult the Book of Dates as to the precise meaning of the omen.

  Ernest Bramah

  Book, Unnecessary, Thunderbolts

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “The Wallet of Kai Lung”, p.15, Ernest Bramah

  9 Copy quote

• One cannot live for ever by ignoring the price of coffins.

  Ernest Bramah

  Coffins

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.521, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

• The wise duck keeps his mouth shut when he smells frogs.

  Ernest Bramah

  Wise, Ducks, Smell

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.440, e-artnow

  7 Copy quote

• Where the road bends abruptly, take short steps.

  Ernest Bramah

  Steps, Bends In The Road

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories (Including Max Carrados Mysteries and Kai Lung Fantasy Stories): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Mirror of Kong Ho and many more”, p.473, e-artnow

  5 Copy quote

• At the mention of the name and offence of this degraded being a great sound went up from the entire multitude - a universal cry of execration, not greatly dissimilar from that which may be frequently heard in the crowded Temple of Impartiality when the one whose duty it is to take up, at a venture, the folded papers, announces that the sublime Emperor, or some mandarin of exalted rank, has been so fortunate as to hold the winning number in the Annual State Lottery.

  Ernest Bramah

  Winning, Names, Numbers

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories (Including Max Carrados Mysteries and Kai Lung Fantasy Stories): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Mirror of Kong Ho and many more”, p.345, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

• However deep you dig a well it affords no refuge in the time of flood.

  Ernest Bramah

  Flood, Wells, Refuge

  Ernest Bramah (1936). “The Kai Lung Omnibus”

  4 Copy quote

• Do not adjust your sandals while passing through a melon-field, nor yet arrange your hat beneath an orange-tree.

  Ernest Bramah

  Orange Trees, Fields, Hats

  Ernest Bramah (1936). “The Kai Lung Omnibus”

  15 Copy quote

• When an alluring woman comes in at the door," warningly traced the austere Kien-fi on the margin of his well-known essay, "discretion may be found up the chimney". It is incredible that beneath this ever-timely reminder an obscure disciple should have added the words: "The wiser the sage, the more profound the folly.

  Ernest Bramah

  Doors, Should Have, Profound

  Ernest Bramah (1963). “The Celestial Omnibus”

  7 Copy quote

• One learns to itch where one can scratch.

  Ernest Bramah

  Scratches, Adaptation, Adaptability

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.442, e-artnow

  19 Copy quote

• Eat in the dark the bargain that you purchased in the dusk.

  Ernest Bramah

  Dark, Dusk, Bargains

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.550, e-artnow

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• Before hastening to secure a possible reward of five taels by dragging an unobservant person away from a falling building, examine well his features lest you find, when too late, that it is one to whom you are indebted for double that amount.

  Ernest Bramah

  Fall, Too Late, Rewards

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.126, e-artnow

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• There are those who collect the refuse of the public streets, but in order to be received into the band it is necessary to have been born one of the Hereditary Confederacy of Superfluity Removers and Abandoned Oddment Gatherers.

  Ernest Bramah

  Order, Band, Born

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “The Complete Works of Ernest Bramah (Including Max Carrados Mysteries & Kai Lung Fantasy Series): The Secret of the League, The Coin of Dionysius, The Game Played In the Dark, The Bravo of London, The Tilling Shaw Mystery, The Secret of Dunstan's Tower, The Missing Witness Sensationäó_”, p.1171, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

• When Ling was communicating to any person the signs by which messengers might find him, he was compelled to add, "the neighbourhood in which this contemptible person resides is that officially known as 'the mean quarter favoured by the lower class of those who murder by treachery'," and for this reason he was not always treated with the regard to which his attainments entitled him, or which he would have unquestionably received had he been able to describe himself as of "the partly-drained and uninfected area reserved to Mandarins and their friends.

  Ernest Bramah

  Mean, Class, Might

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.41, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

• Better a dish of husks to the accompaniment of a muted lute than to be satiated with stewed shark's fin and rich spiced wine of which the cost is frequently mentioned by the provider.

  Ernest Bramah

  Wine, Sharks, Cost

  Ernest Bramah (1963). “The Celestial Omnibus”

  5 Copy quote

• Alas! It is well written, The road to eminence lies through the cheap and exceedingly uninviting eating-houses.

  Ernest Bramah

  Lying, House, Eating

  Ernest Bramah (2011). “The Wallet of Kai Lung”, p.243, The Floating Press

  4 Copy quote

• Should a person on returning from the city discover his house to be in flames, let him examine well the change which he has received from the chair-carrier before it is too late; for evil never travels alone.

  Ernest Bramah

  Flames, Cities, Evil

  Ernest Bramah (2016). “THE KAI LUNG FANTASY SERIES: The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours & Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat: The Transmutation of Ling, The Story of Yung Chang, The Probation of Sen Heng, The Experiment of the Mandarin Chan Hung, The Confession of Kai Lung, The Vengeance of Tung Fel and more”, p.154, e-artnow

  4 Copy quote

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