People who can't be witty exert themselves to be devout and affectionate. George Eliot More Quotes by George Eliot More Quotes From George Eliot There is a chill air surrounding those who are down in the world, and people are glad to get away from them, as from a cold room. George Eliot failureairpeople When we are suddenly released from an acute absorbing bodily pain, our heart and senses leap out in new freedom; we think even the noise of streets harmonious, and are ready to hug the tradesman who is wrapping up our change. George Eliot painheartthinking There are moments when our passions speak and decide for us ... like a fire kindled within our being to which everything else in us is mere fuel. George Eliot fuelpassionfire There is no human being who having both passions and thoughts does not think in consequences of his passions--does not find images rising in his mind which soothe the passion with hope or sting it with dread. George Eliot passionmindthinking The best fire doesna flare up the soonest. George Eliot passionfirepatience Life would be no better than candlelight tinsel and daylight rubbish if our spirits were not touched by what has been. George Eliot rubbishdaylightpast We mustn't be in a hurry to fix and choose our own lot; we must wait to be guided. George Eliot providencewaiting There is no compensation for the woman who feels that the chief relation of her life has been no more than a mistake. She has lost her crown. The deepest secret of human blessedness has half whispered itself to her, and then forever passed her by. George Eliot secretmistakeforever Religion, like all things, begins with self, And naught is known, until one knows himself. George Eliot all-thingsselfreligion Who can know how much of his most inward life is made up of the thoughts he believes other men to have about him, until that fabric of opinion is threatened with ruin? George Eliot fabricmenbelieve To see an enemy humiliated gives a certain contentment, but this is jejune compared with the highly blent satisfaction of seeing him humiliated by your benevolent action or concession on his behalf. That is the sort of revenge which falls into the scale of virtue. George Eliot revengegivingfall Strong souls Live like fire-hearted suns to spend their strength In farthest striving action; breathe more free In mighty anguish than in trivial ease. George Eliot strongsoulfire Let thy chief terror be of thine own soul: There, 'mid the throng of hurrying desires That trample o'er the dead to seize their spoil, Lurks vengeance, footless, irresistible As exhaltations laden with slow death, And o'er the fairest troop of captured joys Breathes pallid pestilence. George Eliot souldesirejoy Perhaps there is no time in a summer's day more cheering, than when the warmth of the sun is just beginning to triumph over the freshness of the morning--when there is just a lingering hint of early coolness to keep off languor under the delicious influence of warmth. George Eliot cheersummermorning Surely, surely the only one true knowledge of our fellow man is that which enables us to feel with him--which gives us a fine ear for the heart-pulses that are beating under the mere clothes of circumstance and opinion. George Eliot heartsympathymen Thought Has joys apart, even in blackest woe, And seizing some fine thread of verity Knows momentary godhead. George Eliot finewoejoy Sweet Truth is a queen proud and mighty-- Her throne is in heaven above. George Eliot queenstruthsweet There comes a terrible moment to many souls when the great movements of the world, the larger destinies of mankind, which have lain aloof in newspapers and other neglected reading, enter like an earthquake into their own lives--when the slow urgency of growing generations turns into the tread of an invading army or the dire clash of civil war, and grey fathers know nothing to seek for but the corpses of their blooming sons, and girls forget all vanity to make lint and bandages which may serve for the shattered limbs of their betrothed husbands. George Eliot husbandgirlwar The higher life begins for us ... when we renounce our own will to bow before a Divine law. George Eliot bowswillpowerlaw There's truth in wine, and there may be some in gin and muddy beer; but whether it's truth worth my knowing, is another question. George Eliot wineknowingbeer
