Margaret Cavendish Quotes

34 Sourced Quotes

And though my Lord hath lost his estate and been banished out of his country, yet neither despised poverty nor pinching necessity could make him break the bonds of friendship or weaken his loyal duty.

Margaret Cavendish
For I, hearing my Lord's estate amongst many more estates was to be sold, and that the wives of the owners should have an allowance therefrom, it gave me hopes I should receive a benefit thereby.

Margaret Cavendish
Pain and Oblivion make mankind afraid to die; but all creatures are afraid of the one, none but mankind afraid of the other.

Margaret Cavendish
Small Atomes of themselves a World may make, As being subtle, and of every shape: And as they dance about, fit places finde, Such Formes as best agree, make every kinde.

Margaret Cavendish
But if our sex would but well consider and rationally ponder, they will perceive and find that it is neither words nor place that can advance them, but worth and merit.

Margaret Cavendish
First, they were bred when I was not capable to observe or before I was born; likewise the breeding of men is of a different manner from that of women.

Margaret Cavendish
For disorder obstructs: besides, it doth disgust life, distract the appetities, and yield no true relish to the senses.

Margaret Cavendish
Thoughts are like stars in the firmament; some are fixed, others like the wandering planets, others again are only like meteors. Understanding is like the Sun, which gives light to all the thoughts. Memory is like the Moon, it hath its new, its full and its wane.

Margaret Cavendish
As for our garments, my Mother did not only delight to see us neat and cleanly, fine and gay, but rich and costly: maintaining us to the heighth of her estate, but not beyond it.

Margaret Cavendish
Indeed I had not much wit, yet I was not an idiot - my wit was according to my years.

Margaret Cavendish
Indeed I did not stand as a beggar at the Parliament door, for I never was at the Parliament-House, nor stood I ever at the door as I do know or can remember; not as a petitioner I am sure.

Margaret Cavendish
Not that I am ashamed of my mind or body, my birth or breeding, my actions or fortunes, for my bashfulness is in my nature, not for any crime.

Margaret Cavendish
And not only my own brothers and sisters agreed so but my brothers and sisters in law; and their children, although but young, had the like agreeable natures and affectionate dispositions.

Margaret Cavendish
Not because they were servants were we so reserved, for many noble persons are forced to serve through necessity, but by reason the vulgar sort of servants are as ill bred as meanly born, giving children ill examples and worse counsel.

Margaret Cavendish
Nature, being a wise and provident lady, governs her parts very wisely, methodically, and orderly: Also, she is very industrious and hates to be idle, which makes her employ her time as a good housewife doth.

Margaret Cavendish
My mother was a good mistress to her servants, taking care of them in their sicknesses, not sparing any cost she was able to bestow for their recovery.

Margaret Cavendish
As for plenty, we had not only for necessity, conveniency and decency, but for delight and pleasure to superfluity.

Margaret Cavendish
Some brains are barren grounds, that will not bring seed or fruit forth, unless they are well manured with the old wit which is raked from other writers and speakers.

Margaret Cavendish
The spider-men came first, and presented her Majesty with a table full of mathematical points, lines and figures of all sorts of squares, circles, triangles, and the like; which the Empress, notwithstanding that she had a very ready wit, and quick apprehension, could not understand; but the more she endeavoured to learn, the more was she confounded

Margaret Cavendish
Indeed, I was so afraid to dishonour my friends and family by my indiscreet actions, that I rather chose to be accounted a fool, than to be thought rude or wanton.

Margaret Cavendish
And though I might have learnt more wit and advanced my understanding by living in a Court, yet being dull, fearful and bashful, I neither heeded what was said or practised, but just what belonged to my loyal duty and my own honest reputation.

Margaret Cavendish
One may be my very good friend, and yet not of my opinion...

Margaret Cavendish
I must say this in the behalf of my thoughts, that I never found them idle; for if the senses bring no work in, they will work of themselves, like silk-worms that spins out of their own bowels.

Margaret Cavendish
For Pleasure, Delight, Peace and Felicity live in method and temperance.

Margaret Cavendish
My other brother, the Lord Lucas, who was heir to my father's estate, and as it were the father to take care of us all, is not less valiant than they were, although his skill in the discipline of war was not so much, not being bred therein.

Margaret Cavendish
Greek, Latin poets, I could never read,
Nor their historians, but our English Speed;
I could not steal their wit, nor plots out take;
All my plays' plots, my own poor brain did make.

Margaret Cavendish
A rude nature is worse than a brute nature by so much more as man is better than a beast: and those that are of civil natures and genteel dispositions are as much nearer to celestial creatures as those that are rude and cruel are to devils.

Margaret Cavendish
The Difference betwixt a Wise man and a Fool is, that a Wise man carries his Happiness still Within him, and a Fool is alwayes Seeking it Without him, & seldom or never Meets it, the other never Seeks it, for he alwayes hath it...

Margaret Cavendish
If Atomes are as small, as small can bee,
They must in quantity of Matter all agree

Margaret Cavendish
If Nature had not befriended us with beauty, and other good graces, to help us to insinuate our selves into men's affections, we should have been more enslaved than any other of Nature's creatures she hath made.

Margaret Cavendish