Jane Austen Quotes

582 Sourced Quotes

And now I may dismiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heroine's portion - to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears. And lucky may she think herself, if she get another good night's rest in the course of the next three months.

Jane Austen
In Paragon we met Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Dowdeswell with her yellow shawl airing out, and at the bottom of Kingsdown Hill we met a gentleman in a buggy, who, on minute examination, turned out to be Dr. Hall — and Dr. Hall in such very deep mourning that either his mother, his wife, or himself must be dead.

Jane Austen
Every body's heart is open, you know, when they have recently escaped from severe pain, or are recovering the blessings of health.

Jane Austen
Sophia shrieked and fainted on the ground—I screamed and instantly ran mad! We remained thus mutually deprived of our senses some minutes, and on regaining them were deprived of them again. For an hour and a quarter did we continue in this unfortunate situation.

Jane Austen
It was a gloomy prospect, and all that she could do was to throw a mist over it, and hope when the mist cleared away, she should see something else.

Jane Austen
Next week I shall begin my operations on my hat, on which you know my principal hopes of happiness depend.

Jane Austen
Wisdom is better than wit, and in the long run will certainly have the laugh on her side.

Jane Austen
People always live forever when there is an annuity to be paid them.

Jane Austen
"If you will thank me," he replied "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them I believe I thought only of you."

Jane Austen
It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire.

Jane Austen
One cannot have too large a party. A large party secures its own amusement.

Jane Austen
Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.

Jane Austen
The post-office is a wonderful establishment! The regularity and dispatch of it! If one thinks of all that it has to do, and all that it does so well, it is really astonishing!

Jane Austen
For he is such a disagreeable man, that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him.

Jane Austen
There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome." "And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody." "And yours," he replied with a smile, "is wilfully to misunderstand them.

Jane Austen
He then departed, to make himself still more interesting, in the midst of a heavy rain.

Jane Austen
At first sight, his address is certainly not striking; and his person can hardly be called handsome, till the expression of his eyes, which are uncommonly good, and the general sweetness of his countenance, is perceived.

Jane Austen
To be sure you know no actual good of me, but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love.

Jane Austen
Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can.

Jane Austen
'My idea of good company, Mr Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.' 'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.'

Jane Austen
My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them──by which means my letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents.

Jane Austen
Then it would not be so strong a sense. If it failed to produce equal exertion, it could not be an equal conviction.

Jane Austen
He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.

Jane Austen
Mrs. Bennett was restored to her usual querulous serenity.

Jane Austen
Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was when I first knew her; for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.

Jane Austen
And have you never known the pleasure and triumph of a lucky guess? I pity you. I thought you cleverer; for depend upon it, a lucky guess is never merely luck. There is always some talent in it.

Jane Austen
She knew that when she played she was giving pleasure only to herself; but this was no new sensation

Jane Austen
To be so bent on marriage, to pursue a man merely for the sake of situation, is a sort of thing that shocks me; I cannot understand it. Poverty is a great evil; but to a woman of education and feeling it ought not, it cannot be the greatest.

Jane Austen
Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life." "I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one; but I always speak what I think.

Jane Austen
Her family had of late been exceedingly fluctuating. For many years of her life she had had two sons; but the crime and annihilation of Edward a few weeks ago, had robbed her of one; the similar annihilation of Robert had left her for a fortnight without any; and now, by the resurrection of Edward, she had one again.

Jane Austen