Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise? Marquis de Sade More Quotes by Marquis de Sade More Quotes From Marquis de Sade I assumed that everything must yield to me, that the entire universe had to flatter my whims, and that I had the right to satisfy them at will. Marquis de Sade whim yield universe Virtue can procure only an imaginary happiness; true felicity lies only in the senses, and virtue gratifies none of them. Marquis de Sade true-happiness virtue lying Lust is to the other passions what the nervous fluid is to life; it supports them all, lends strength to them all ambition, cruelty, avarice, revenge, are all founded on lust. Marquis de Sade passion ambition revenge If God permits virtue to be persecuted on earth, it is not for us to question his intentions. It may be that his rewards are held over for another life, for is it not true as written in Holy Scripture that the Lord chastenenth only the righteous! And after all, is not virtue it's own reward? Marquis de Sade rewards earth may Conspiracy! Intrigue! A rapidly thickening plot! Add some bestiality and a lecherous priest and I'd say you have the beginnings of a beautiful novel. Marquis de Sade plot add beautiful Why do you complain of your fate when you could so easily change it? Marquis de Sade fate complaining Now I beg of you to tell me whether I must love a human being simply because he exists or resembles me and whether for those reasons alone I must suddenly prefer him to myself? Marquis de Sade humans reason quiet Dread not infanticide; the crime is imaginary: we are always mistress of what we carry in our womb, and we do no more harm in destroying this kind of matter than in evacuating another, by medicines, when we feel the need. Marquis de Sade mistress medicine needs Between understanding and faith immediate connections must subsist. Marquis de Sade connections understanding faith There are thorns everywhere, but along the path of vice, roses bloom above them. Marquis de Sade thorns vices rose One must feel sorry for those who have strange tastes, but never insult them. Their wrong is Nature's too; they are no more responsible for having come into the world with tendencies unlike ours than are we for being born bandy-legged or well-proportioned. Marquis de Sade taste sorry world Were he supreme, were he mighty, were he just, were he good, this God you tell me about, would it be through enigmas and buffooneries he would wish to teach me to serve and know him? Marquis de Sade enigma teach wish In an age that is utterly corrupt, the best policy is to do as others do. Marquis de Sade total-war age war Lycurgus, Numa, Moses, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, all these great rogues, all these great thought-tyrants, knew how to associate the divinities they fabricated with their own boundless ambition. Marquis de Sade tyrants ambition jesus There is no God, Nature sufficeth unto herself; in no wise hath she need of an author. Marquis de Sade atheism nature wise What we are doing here is only the image of what we would like to do. Marquis de Sade How delicious to corrupt, to stifle all semblances of virtue and religion in that young heart! Marquis de Sade virtue young heart There is a kind of pleasure which comes from sacrilege or the profanation of the objects offered us for worship. Marquis de Sade pleasure kind worship Variety, multiplicity are the two most powerful vehicles of lust. Marquis de Sade powerful lust two The majority of pop stars are complete idiots in every respect. Marquis de Sade idiot majority stars
