Chapter 1

This eBook was produced by David Widger <[email protected]>

WIDGER'S QUOTATIONS

FROM THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EDITION OF THE WORKS OF GEORGE MEREDITH

EDITOR'S NOTE

Readers acquainted with the works of George Meredith may wish to see if their favorite passages are listed in this selection. The etext editor will be glad to add your suggestions. One of the advantages of internet over paper publication is the ease of quick revision.

All the titles may be found using the Project Gutenberg search engine at: http://promo.net/pg/

After downloading a specific file, the location and complete context of the quotations may be found by inserting a small part of the quotation into the 'Find' or 'Search' functions of the user's word processing program.

The editor may be contacted at <[email protected]> for comments, questions or suggested additions to these extracts.

D.W.

CONTENTS:

The Shaving of Shagpat by G. Meredith, v1 [GM#07][gm07v10.txt]4401 The Shaving of Shagpat by G. Meredith, v2 [GM#08][gm08v10.txt]4402 The Shaving of Shagpat by G. Meredith, v3 [GM#09][gm09v10.txt]4403 The Shaving of Shagpat by G. Meredith, v4 [GM#10][gm10v10.txt]4404 The Shaving of Shagpat by G. Meredith, all [GM#11][gm11v10.txt]4405 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v1 [GM#12][gm12v10.txt]4406 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v2 [GM#13][gm13v10.txt]4407 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v3 [GM#14][gm14v10.txt]4408 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v4 [GM#15][gm15v10.txt]4409 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v5 [GM#16][gm16v10.txt]4410 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, v6 [GM#17][gm17v10.txt]4411 Ordeal Richard Feverel by G. Meredith, all [GM#18][gm18v10.txt]4412 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v1 [GM#19][gm19v10.txt]4413 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v2 [GM#20][gm20v10.txt]4414 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v3 [GM#21][gm21v10.txt]4415 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v4 [GM#22][gm22v10.txt]4416 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v5 [GM#23][gm23v10.txt]4417 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v6 [GM#24][gm24v10.txt]4418 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, v7 [GM#25][gm25v10.txt]4419 Sandra Belloni by George Meredith, all [GM#26][gm26v10.txt]4420 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, v1 [GM#27][gm27v10.txt]4421 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, v2 [GM#28][gm28v10.txt]4422 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, v3 [GM#29][gm29v10.txt]4423 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, v4 [GM#30][gm30v10.txt]4424 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, v5 [GM#31][gm31v10.txt]4425 Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith, all [GM#32][gm32v10.txt]4426 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v1 [GM#33][gm33v10.txt]4427 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v2 [GM#34][gm34v10.txt]4428 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v3 [GM#35][gm35v10.txt]4429 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v4 [GM#36][gm36v10.txt]4430 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v5 [GM#37][gm37v10.txt]4431 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v6 [GM#38][gm38v10.txt]4432 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, v7 [GM#39][gm39v10.txt]4433 Evan Harrington by George Meredith, all [GM#40][gm40v10.txt]4434 Vittoria by George Meredith, v1 [GM#41][gm41v10.txt]4435 Vittoria by George Meredith, v2 [GM#42][gm42v10.txt]4436 Vittoria by George Meredith, v3 [GM#43][gm43v10.txt]4437 Vittoria by George Meredith, v4 [GM#44][gm44v10.txt]4438 Vittoria by George Meredith, v5 [GM#45][gm45v10.txt]4439 Vittoria by George Meredith, v6 [GM#46][gm46v10.txt]4440 Vittoria by George Meredith, v7 [GM#47][gm47v10.txt]4441 Vittoria by George Meredith, v8 [GM#48][gm48v10.txt]4442 Vittoria by George Meredith, all [GM#49][gm49v10.txt]4443 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v1 [GM#50][gm50v10.txt]4444 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v2 [GM#51][gm51v10.txt]4445 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v3 [GM#52][gm52v10.txt]4446 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v4 [GM#53][gm53v10.txt]4447 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v5 [GM#54][gm54v10.txt]4448 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v6 [GM#55][gm55v10.txt]4449 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v7 [GM#56][gm56v10.txt]4450 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, v8 [GM#57][gm57v10.txt]4451 Adventures Harry Richmond by Meredith, all[GM#58][gm58v10.txt]4452 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v1 [GM#59][gm59v10.txt]4453 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v2 [GM#60][gm60v10.txt]4454 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v3 [GM#61][gm61v10.txt]4455 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v4 [GM#62][gm62v10.txt]4456 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v5 [GM#63][gm63v10.txt]4457 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v6 [GM#64][gm64v10.txt]4458 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, v7 [GM#65][gm65v10.txt]4459 Beauchamps Career by George Meredith, all [GM#66][gm66v10.txt]4460 The Tragic Comedians by G. Meredith, v1 [GM#67][gm67v10.txt]4461 The Tragic Comedians by G. Meredith, v2 [GM#68][gm68v10.txt]4462 The Tragic Comedians by G. Meredith, v3 [GM#69][gm69v10.txt]4463 The Tragic Comedians by G. Meredith, all [GM#70][gm70v10.txt]4464 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, v1 [GM#71][gm71v10.txt]4465 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, v2 [GM#72][gm72v10.txt]4466 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, v3 [GM#73][gm73v10.txt]4467 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, v4 [GM#74][gm74v10.txt]4468 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, v5 [GM#75][gm75v10.txt]4469 Diana of the Crossways by Meredith, all [GM#76][gm76v10.txt]4470 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, v1 [GM#77][gm77v10.txt]4471 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, v2 [GM#78][gm78v10.txt]4472 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, v3 [GM#79][gm79v10.txt]4473 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, v4 [GM#80][gm80v10.txt]4474 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, v5 [GM#81][gm81v10.txt]4475 One of Our Conquerors by G. Meredith, all [GM#82][gm82v10.txt]4476 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, v1 [GM#83][gm83v10.txt]4477 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, v2 [GM#84][gm84v10.txt]4478 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, v3 [GM#85][gm85v10.txt]4479 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, v4 [GM#86][gm86v10.txt]4480 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, v5 [GM#87][gm87v10.txt]4481 Lord Ormont and his Aminta by Meredith, all[GM#88][gm88v10.txt]4482 The Amazing Marriage by George Meredith, v1[GM#89][gm89v10.txt]4483 The Amazing Marriage by George Meredith, v2[GM#90][gm90v10.txt]4484 The Amazing Marriage by George Meredith, v3[GM#91][gm91v10.txt]4485 The Amazing Marriage by George Meredith, v4[GM#92][gm92v10.txt]4486 The Amazing Marriage by George Meredith, v5[GM#93][gm93v10.txt]4487 The Amazing Marriage by G. Meredith, all [GM#94][gm94v10.txt]4488 Celt and Saxon by George Meredith, v1 [GM#95][gm95v10.txt]4489 Celt and Saxon by George Meredith, v2 [GM#96][gm96v10.txt]4490 Celt and Saxon by George Meredith, all [GM#97][gm97v10.txt]4491 Farina by George Meredith, [GM#98][gm98v10.txt]4492 Case of General Ople by George Meredith [GM#99][gm99v10.txt]4493 The Tale of Chloe by George Meredith [GM#100][gn00v10.txt]4494 The House on the Beach by G. Meredith [GM#101][gn01v10.txt]4495 The Gentleman of Fifty by Meredith [GM#102][gn02v10.txt]4496 The Sentimentalists(play) by G. Meredith [GM#103][gn03v10.txt]4497 Miscellaneous Prose by G. Meredith [GM#104][gn04v10.txt]4498 The Entire Short Works of George Meredith [GM#105][gn05v10.txt]4499 The Entire PG Works by George Meredith [GM#106][gn06v10.txt]4500

QUOTATIONS FROM THE WORKS OF GEORGE MEREDITH

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, V1 [GM#07][GM07V10.TXT]4401

How little a thing serves Fortune's turn Ripe with oft telling and old is the tale The curse of sorrow is comparison!

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, V2 [GM#08][GM08V10.TXT]4402

Delay in thine undertaking is disaster of thy own making Lest thou commence to lie--be dumb! No runner can outstrip his fate 'Tis the first step that makes a path When to loquacious fools with patience rare I listen

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, V3 [GM#09][GM09V10.TXT]4403

Arm'd with Fear the Foe finds passage to the vital part Fear nought so much as Fear itself If thou wouldst fix remembrance--thwack! Nought credit but what outward orbs reveal The overwise themselves hoodwink The king without his crown hath a forehead like the clown Vanity maketh the strongest most weak Where fools are the fathers of every miracle Who in a labyrinth wandereth without clue

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, V4 [GM#10][GM10V10.TXT]4404

A woman's at the core of every plot man plotteth Every failure is a step advanced Failures oft are but advising friends Like an ill-reared fruit, first at the core it rotteth More culpable the sparer than the spared Persist, if thou wouldst truly reach thine ends Too often hangs the house on one loose stone

THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, ALL [GM#11][GM11V10.TXT]4405

A woman's at the core of every plot man plotteth Arm'd with Fear the Foe finds passage to the vital part Delay in thine undertaking Is disaster of thy own making Every failure is a step advanced Failures oft are but advising friends Fear nought so much as Fear itself How little a thing serves Fortune's turn If thou wouldst fix remembrance--thwack! Lest thou commence to lie--be dumb! Like an ill-reared fruit, first at the core it rotteth More culpable the sparer than the spared No runner can outstrip his fate Nought credit but what outward orbs reveal Persist, if thou wouldst truly reach thine ends Ripe with oft telling and old is the tale The curse of sorrow is comparison! The king without his crown hath a forehead like the clown The overwise themselves hoodwink 'Tis the first step that makes a path Too often hangs the house on one loose stone Vanity maketh the strongest most weak When to loquacious fools with patience rare I listen Where fools are the fathers of every miracle Who in a labyrinth wandereth without clue

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V1 [GM#12][GM12V10.TXT]4406

A style of affable omnipotence about the wise youth After five years of marriage, and twelve of friendship Among boys there are laws of honour and chivalrous codes An edge to his smile that cuts much like a sneer Complacent languor of the wise youth Huntress with few scruples and the game unguarded It is no use trying to conceal anything from him It was his ill luck to have strong appetites and a weak stomach Minutes taken up by the grey puffs from their mouths No! Gentlemen don't fling stones; leave that to the blackguards Our new thoughts have thrilled dead bosoms Rogue on the tremble of detection Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual She can make puddens and pies The born preacher we feel instinctively to be our foe There is for the mind but one grasp of happiness Those days of intellectual coxcombry Troublesome appendages of success Wisdom goes by majorities Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V2 [GM#13][GM13V10.TXT]4407

And so Farewell my young Ambition! and with it farewell all true And to these instructions he gave an aim: "First be virtuous" In Sir Austin's Note-book was written: "Between Simple Boyhood..." It was now, as Sir Austin had written it down, The Magnetic Age Laying of ghosts is a public duty On the threshold of Puberty, there is one Unselfish Hour Seed-Time passed thus smoothly, and adolescence came on They believe that the angels have been busy about them Who rises from Prayer a better man, his prayer is answered Young as when she looked upon the lovers in Paradise You've got no friend but your bed

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V3 [GM#14][GM14V10.TXT]4408

A young philosopher's an old fool! Cold charity to all I cannot get on with Gibbon In our House, my son, there is peculiar blood. We go to wreck! Our most diligent pupil learns not so much as an earnest teacher

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V4 [GM#15][GM15V10.TXT]4409

Although it blew hard when Caesar crossed the Rubicon As when nations are secretly preparing for war The world is wise in its way The danger of a little knowledge of things is disputable Wise in not seeking to be too wise Yet, though Angels smile, shall not Devils laugh

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V5 [GM#16][GM16V10.TXT]4410

A woman who has mastered sauces sits on the apex of civilization Behold the hero embarked in the redemption of an erring beauty Come prepared to be not very well satisfied with anything Habit had legalized his union with her Hero embarked in the redemption of an erring beautiful woman His equanimity was fictitious His fancy performed miraculous feats How many instruments cannot clever women play upon I ain't a speeder of matrimony Opened a wider view of the world to him, and a colder Serene presumption The Pilgrim's Scrip remarks that: Young men take joy in nothing Threats of prayer, however, that harp upon their sincerity To be passive in calamity is the province of no woman Unaccustomed to have his will thwarted Women are swift at coming to conclusions in these matters

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, V6 [GM#17][GM17V10.TXT]4411

A maker of Proverbs--what is he but a narrow mind wit Feeling, nothing beyond a lively interest in her well-being Further she read, "Which is the coward among us?" Gentleman who does so much 'cause he says so little Hermits enamoured of wind and rain Heroine, in common with the hero, has her ambition to be of use I rather like to hear a woman swear. It embellishes her! I beg of my husband, and all kind people who may have the care Intensely communicative, but inarticulate Just bad inquirin' too close among men January was watering and freezing old earth by turns South-western Island has few attractions to other than invalids Take 'em somethin' like Providence--as they come Task of reclaiming a bad man is extremely seductive to good women This was a totally different case from the antecedent ones

ORDEAL RICHARD FEVEREL, ENTIRE [GM#18][GM18V10.TXT]4412

A woman who has mastered sauces sits on the apex of civilization A style of affable omnipotence about the wise youth A maker of Proverbs--what is he but a narrow mind wit A young philosopher's an old fool! After five years of marriage, and twelve of friendship Although it blew hard when Caesar crossed the Rubicon Among boys there are laws of honour and chivalrous codes An edge to his smile that cuts much like a sneer And so Farewell my young Ambition! and with it farewell all true And to these instructions he gave an aim: "First be virtuous" As when nations are secretly preparing for war Behold the hero embarked in the redemption of an erring beauty Cold charity to all Come prepared to be not very well satisfied with anything Complacent languor of the wise youth Feeling, nothing beyond a lively interest in her well-being Further she read, "Which is the coward among us?" Gentleman who does so much 'cause he says so little Habit had legalized his union with her Hermits enamoured of wind and rain Hero embarked in the redemption of an erring beautiful woman Heroine, in common with the hero, has her ambition to be of use His equanimity was fictitious His fancy performed miraculous feats How many instruments cannot clever women play upon Huntress with few scruples and the game unguarded I rather like to hear a woman swear. It embellishes her! I beg of my husband, and all kind people who may have the care I ain't a speeder of matrimony I cannot get on with Gibbon In our House, my son, there is peculiar blood. We go to wreck! In Sir Austin's Note-book was written: "Between Simple Boyhood..." Intensely communicative, but inarticulate It was his ill luck to have strong appetites and a weak stomach It is no use trying to conceal anything from him It was now, as Sir Austin had written it down, The Magnetic Age January was watering and freezing old earth by turns Just bad inquirin' too close among men Laying of ghosts is a public duty Minutes taken up by the grey puffs from their mouths No! Gentlemen don't fling stones; leave that to the blackguards On the threshold of Puberty, there is one Unselfish Hour Opened a wider view of the world to him, and a colder Our most diligent pupil learns not so much as an earnest teacher Rogue on the tremble of detection Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual Seed-Time passed thus smoothly, and adolescence came on Serene presumption She can make puddens and pies South-western Island has few attractions to other than invalids Take 'em somethin' like Providence--as they come Task of reclaiming a bad man is extremely seductive to good women The Pilgrim's Scrip remarks that: Young men take joy in nothing The world is wise in its way The danger of a little knowledge of things is disputable The born preacher we feel instinctively to be our foe There is for the mind but one grasp of happiness They believe that the angels have been busy about them This was a totally different case from the antecedent ones Those days of intellectual coxcombry Threats of prayer, however, that harp upon their sincerity To be passive in calamity is the province of no woman Troublesome appendages of success Unaccustomed to have his will thwarted Who rises from Prayer a better man, his prayer is answered Wise in not seeking to be too wise Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man Women are swift at coming to conclusions in these matters Yet, though Angels smile, shall not Devils laugh You've got no friend but your bed Young as when she looked upon the lovers in Paradise

SANDRA BELLONI, V1 [GM#19][GM19V10.TXT]4413

Being heard at night, in the nineteenth century Pleasure sat like an inextinguishable light on her face Beyond a plot of flowers, a gold-green meadow dipped to a ridge His alien ideas were not unimpressed by the picture Hushing together, they agreed that it had been a false move I had to make my father and mother live on potatoes I had to cross the park to give a lesson She was perhaps a little the taller of the two The circle which the ladies of Brookfield were designing The gallant cornet adored delicacy and a gilded refinement The philosopher (I would keep him back if I could) They had all noticed, seen, and observed

SANDRA BELLONI, V2 [GM#20][GM20V10.TXT]4414

Emilia alone of the party was as a blot to her I cannot delay; but I request you, that are here privileged I detest anything that has to do with gratitude Love, with his accustomed cunning No nose to the hero, no moral to the tale Nor can a protest against coarseness be sweepingly interpreted One of those men whose characters are read off at a glance The majority, however, had been snatched out of this bliss Their way was down a green lane and across long meadow-paths They, meantime, who had a contempt for sleep Women are wonderfully quick scholars under ridicule

SANDRA BELLONI, V3 [GM#21][GM21V10.TXT]4415

And, ladies, if you will consent to be likened to a fruit Passion does not inspire dark appetite--Dainty innocence does The sentimentalists are represented by them among the civilized The woman follows the man, and music fits to verse, You have not to be told that I desire your happiness above all Wilfrid perceived that he had become an old man

SANDRA BELLONI, V4 [GM#22][GM22V10.TXT]4416

A marriage without love is dishonour Bear in mind that we are sentimentalists--The eye is our servant I am not ashamed Love that shrieks at a mortal wound, and bleeds humanly Love the poor devil My mistress! My glorious stolen fruit! My dark angel of love Poor mortals are not in the habit of climbing Olympus to ask Revived for them so much of themselves Solitude is pasturage for a suspicion Victims of the modern feminine'ideal'

SANDRA BELLONI, V5 [GM#23][GM23V10.TXT]4417

Am I ill? I must be hungry! Depreciating it after the fashion of chartered hypocrites. Fine Shades were still too dominant at Brookfield He thinks that the country must be saved by its women as well I know that your father has been hearing tales told of me My voice! I have my voice! Emilia had cried it out to herself She had great awe of the word 'business'

SANDRA BELLONI, V6 [GM#24][GM24V10.TXT]4418

Active despair is a passion that must be superseded But love for a parent is not merely duty Had Shakespeare's grandmother three Christian names? Littlenesses of which women are accused Love discerns unerringly what is and what is not duty Our partner is our master Passion, he says, is noble strength on fire Silence was their only protection to the Nice Feelings The dismally-lighted city wore a look of Judgement terrible to see The sentimentalist goes on accumulating images True love excludes no natural duty

SANDRA BELLONI, V7 [GM#25][GM25V10.TXT]4419

A plunge into the deep is of little moment And he passed along the road, adds the Philosopher It was as if she had been eyeing a golden door shut fast My engagement to Mr. Pericles is that I am not to write Man who beats his wife my first question is, 'Do he take his tea?' Oh! beastly bathos On a wild April morning Once my love? said he. Not now?--does it mean, not now? So it is when you play at Life! When you will not go straight To know that you are in England, breathing the same air with me We are, in short, a civilized people We have now looked into the hazy interior of their systems What was this tale of Emilia, that grew more and more perplexing

SANDRA BELLONI, ENTIRE [GM#26][GM26V10.TXT]4420