William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

194 Sourced Quotes

A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is championship, pity, and courage; the instinctive desire to cherish those who are innocent and unhappy, and defend those who are tender and weak.

William Makepeace Thackeray
I knew all along that the prize I had set my life on was not worth the winning.

William Makepeace Thackeray
You, who are ashamed of your poverty, and blush for your calling, are a snob; as are you who boast of your wealth.

William Makepeace Thackeray
So they pass away: friends, kindred, the dearest-loved, grown people, aged, infants. As we go on the down-hill journey, the mile-stones are grave-stones, and on each more and more names are written; unless haply you live beyond man's common age, when friends have dropped off, and, tottering, and feeble, and unpitied, you reach the terminus alone.

William Makepeace Thackeray
When a man is in love with one woman in a family, it is astonishing how fond he becomes of every person connected with it.

William Makepeace Thackeray
An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.

William Makepeace Thackeray
It is an awful thing to get a glimpse, as one sometimes does, when the time is past, of some little, little wheel which works the whole mighty machinery of fate, and see how our destinies turn on a minute's delay or advance.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Those who are gone, you have. Those who departed loving you, love you still; and you love them always. They are not really gone, those dear hearts and true; they are only gone into the next room; and you will presently get up and follow them, and yonder door will close upon you, and you will be no more seen.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are better for it when it is over: the better for your misfortune, if you endure it with a manly heart; how much the better for success, if you win it and a good wife into the bargain!

William Makepeace Thackeray
Certain it is that scandal is good brisk talk, whereas praise of one's neighbor is by no means lively hearing. An acquaintance grilled, scored, devilled, and served with mustard and cayenne pepper excites the appetite; whereas a slice of cold friend with currant jelly is but a sickly, unrelishing meat.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Hint at the existence of wickedness in a light, easy, and agreeable manner, so that nobody's fine feelings may be offended.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Let us be very gentle with our neighbors' failings, and forgive our friends their debts as we hope ourselves to be forgiven.

William Makepeace Thackeray
As fits the holy Christmas birth, Be this, good friends, our carol still Be peace on earth, be peace on earth, To men of gentle will.

William Makepeace Thackeray
[As they say in the old legends]Before a man goes to the devil himself, he sends plenty of other souls thither.

William Makepeace Thackeray
There are other books in a man's library besides Ovid, and after dawdling ever so long at a woman's knee, one day he gets up and is free. We have all been there; we have all had the fever--the strongest and the smallest, from Samson, Hercules, Rinaldo, downward: but it burns out, and you get well.

William Makepeace Thackeray
The tallest and the smallest among us are so alike diminutive and pitifully base, it is a meanness to calculate the difference.

William Makepeace Thackeray
To be beautiful is enough! if a woman can do that well who should demand more from her? You don't want a rose to sing.

William Makepeace Thackeray
As if the ray which travels from the sun would reach me sooner than the man who blacks my boots.

William Makepeace Thackeray
What woman, however old, has not the bridal-favours and raiment stowed away, and packed in lavender, in the inmost cupboards of her heart?

William Makepeace Thackeray
If you will fling yourself under the wheels, Juggernaut will go over you; depend upon it.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Perhaps there is no greater test of a man's regularity and easiness of conscience than his readiness to face the postman. Blessed is he who is made happy by the sound of a rat-tat! The good are eager for it; but the naughty tremble at the sound thereof.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Titles are abolished; and the American Republic swarms with men claiming and bearing them.

William Makepeace Thackeray
I have long gone about with a conviction on my mind that I had a work to do-a Work, if you like, with a great W; a Purpose to fulfil;... a Great Social Evil to Discover and to Remedy.

William Makepeace Thackeray
If there is no love more in yonder heart, it is but a corpse unburied.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Happiest time of youth and life, when love is first spoken and returned; when the dearest eyes are daily shining welcome, and the fondest lips never tire of whispering their sweet secrets; when the parting look that accompanies "Good night!" gives delightful warning of tomorrow.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Presently, we were aware of an odour gradually coming towards us, something musky, fiery, savoury, mysterious, - a hot drowsy smell, that lulls the senses, and yet enflames them, - the truffles were coming.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Sure, love vincit omnia; is immeasurably above all ambition, more precious than wealth, more noble than name. He knows not life who knows not that: he hath not felt the highest faculty of the soul who hath not enjoyed it.

William Makepeace Thackeray
I set it down as a maxim, that it is good for a man to live where he can meet his betters, intellectual and social.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Our measure of rewards and punishments is most partial and incomplete, absurdly inadequate, utterly worldly; and we wish to continue it into the next world. Into that next and awful world we strive to pursue men, and send after them our impotent paltry verdicts of condemnation or acquittal. We set up our paltry little rod to measure heaven immeasurable.

William Makepeace Thackeray