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William Congreve Quotes (1670-1729)
Poet, Playwright
About William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet.
Best William Congreve Quotes
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful William Congreve quotes.
“Thou liar of the first magnitude.”
“Hannibal was a very pretty fellow in those days.”
“I know that's a secret, for it's whispered every where.”
“O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell.”
“Careless she is with artful care,
Affecting to seem unaffected.”
Affecting to seem unaffected.”
“Retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.”
“Ferdinand Mendez Pinto was but a type of thee, thou liar of the first magnitude.”
“Women are like tricks by sleight of hand,
Which, to admire, we should not understand.”
Which, to admire, we should not understand.”
“Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.”
“They come together like the Coroner's Inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week.”
William Congreve Quotes by Topic
Find exactly what you are looking for by browsing this categorized list of William Congreve quotes by topic.
William Congreve on Love 3 quotes
“He that can't live upon love deserves to die in a ditch.”
William Congreve on Beauty 2 quotes
View all 2 quotes on Beauty →William Congreve on Pleasure
“Who pleases one against his will.”
William Congreve on Sound
“By magic numbers and persuasive sound.”
William Congreve on Diamond
William Congreve on Ancestors
William Congreve on Quotations
“Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants.”
William Congreve on Pelicans
“What, wouldst thou have me turn pelican, and feed thee out of my own vitals?”
William Congreve on Last Judgment
William Congreve on Wit
William Congreve on Stupidity
What William Congreve Said About Others
Discover personal opinions William Congreve shared regarding contemporaries.
William Congreve on Women 2 quotes
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
William Congreve on Wives
William Congreve on Alexander the Great
“Having only that one hope, the accomplishment of it, of consequence, must put an end to all my hopes; and what a wretch is he who must survive his hopes! Nothing remains when that day comes, but to sit down and weep like Alexander, when he wanted other worlds to conquer.”
Quotes About William Congreve
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about William Congreve from others.
William Makepeace Thackeray on William Congreve
“Mr Congreve... would make many brilliant hits – half a dozen in a night sometimes – but like sharpshooters, when they had fired their shot they were obliged to retire under cover till their pieces were loaded again.”
Misattributed Quotes
Quotes mistakenly credited to William Congreve
About William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet.