black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

My heavens! I’ve been talking prose for the last forty years without knowing it.

Moliere

In society one needs a flexible virtue; too much goodness can be blamable.
MOLIERE

Blame Goodness Need Society Virtue
The envious will die, but envy never.
MOLIERE

Death Jealous Willing
The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.
MOLIERE

Amuse Comedy Correct Men
There are pretenders to piety as well as to courage.
MOLIERE

Courage Pity Pretend
I want to be distinguished from the rest; to tell the truth, a friend to all mankind is not a friend for me.
MOLIERE

Friendship Man Myself Truth
The most effective way of attacking vice is to expose it to public ridicule. People can put up with rebukes but they cannot bear being laughed at: they are prepared to be wicked but they dislike appearing ridiculous.
MOLIERE

Appearance Attack Effect Laughter People Vice Way
Ah! how annoying that the law doesn’t allow a woman to change husbands just as one does shirts.
MOLIERE

Annoy Change Husband Law Woman
The only people who can be excused for letting a bad book loose on the world are the poor devils who have to write for a living.
MOLIERE

Devil Live People Poor World Writing
As the purpose of comedy is to correct the vices of men, I see no reason why anyone should be exempt.
MOLIERE

Comedy Correct Man Myself Purpose Vice
The defects of human nature afford us opportunities of exercising our philosophy, the best employment of our virtues. If all men were righteous, all hearts true and frank and loyal, what use would our virtues be?
MOLIERE

Afford Best Employment Human Loyal Nature Opportunity Ourselves Virtue
Reason is not what decides love.
MOLIERE

Decision Love Reason
The impromptu reply is precisely the touchstone of the man of wit.
MOLIERE

Man Precise Smart
Folk whose own behavior is most ridiculous are always to the fore in slandering others.
MOLIERE

Behavior Friendship Ridiculous
The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.
MOLIERE

Offend Public Scandal Secret Sin
Cultivated people should be superior to any consideration so sordid as a mercenary interest.
MOLIERE

Cultivation Interest People
Some of the most famous books are the least worth reading. Their fame was due to their having done something that needed to be doing in their day. The work is done and the virtue of the book has expired.
MOLIERE

Book Expire Fame Famous Need Reading Virtue Worth

My heavens! I’ve been talking prose for the last forty years without knowing it.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

My heavens! I’ve been talking prose for the last forty years without knowing it.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Moliere Quotes