William Congreve
William Congreve
William Congrevewas an English playwright and poet...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth24 January 1670
women flames destroying
Women like flames have a destroying power; never to be quenched till they themselves devour.
support speech cold
Words are the weak support of cold indifference; love has no language to be heard.
passion men may
Marriage indeed may qualify the fury of his passion, but it very rarely mends a man's manners.
loss expression confusion
Guilt is ever at a loss, and confusion waits upon it; when innocence and bold truth are always ready for expression.
gossip together reputation
They come together like the Coroner's Inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week.
funny men play
Every man plays the fool once in his live, but to marry is playing the fool all one's life long.
experience leisure haste
Some by experience find those words mis-placed: At leisure married, they repent in haste.
hell-hath-no-fury mourning chocolate
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
beauty lovers
Beauty is the lover's gift.
guilt breeding blushing
I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt, or of ill breeding.
desire antidote
O, she is the antidote to desire.
thinking may action
You are a woman: you must never speak what you think; your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words.
hair poetry letters
Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with those in verse.... I never pin up my hair with prose."
ill impudence malice manners pass
Where modesty's ill manners, 'tis but fitThat impudence and malice pass for wit.