Frances Burney Quotes

Frances Burney shares thoughtful, candid musings on memory, truth and society.

15 quotes

To have some account of my thoughts, manners, acquaintance and actions, when the hour arrives in which time is more nimble than memory, is the reason which induces me to keep a journal: a journal in which I must confess my every thought, must open my whole heart!

#1
I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility - I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the characters to be probable, though their behaviour is excelling.

#2
Look at your [English] ladies of quality-are they not forever parting with their husbands-forfeiting their reputations-and is their life aught but dissipation? In common genteel life, indeed, you may now and then meet with very fine girls-who have politeness, sense and conversation-but these are few-and then look at your trademen's daughters-what are they?-poor creatures indeed! all pertness, imitation and folly.

#3
When once-which every body must be-you are convinced of the wickedness and deceit of men, it is impossible to preserve untainted your own innocence of heart. Experience will prove the depravity of mankind, and the conviction of it only serves to create distrust, suspicion-caution-and sometimes causelessly.

#4
“What arguments, what persuasions can I make use of, with any prospect of success, to such a woman as Madame Duval? ...She is too ignorant for instruction, too obstinate for entreaty, and too weak for reason.”
“Mortimer Delvile was tall and finely formed, his features, though not handsome, were full of expression, and a noble openness of manners and address spoke the elegance of his education, and the liberality of his mind.”
“he has no more manners than a bear,”
“O! I must tell you that I have fallen in love with a gentleman whom I have lately come acquainted with: he is about 60 or 70—has... O! I must tell you that I have fallen in love with a gentleman whom I have lately come acquainted with: he is about 60 or 70—has the misfortune to be humpbacked, crooked legged, and rather deformed in his face.—But, in sober sadness, I am delighted with the Dean of Coleraine, whose picture this is, and which I have very lately read. The piety, the zeal, the humanity, goodness and humility of this charming old man have won my heart. Ah! who will not envy him the invaluable treasure!”
“it is sometimes dangerous to make requests to men, who are too desirous of receiving them.”
“To despise riches, may, indeed, be philosophic, but to dispense them worthily, surely, must be more beneficial to mankind.”
“Lord Orville seemed by no means to think the Captain worthy an argument, upon a subject concerning which he had neither knowledge nor feeling.”
“In all ranks and all stations of life, how strangely characters and manners differ!”
“The world...is too full of real evil for me at least, to cause one moment of unnecessary uneasiness to any of its poor pilgrims. 'Tis strange...that this is not more generally considered, since the advantage would be so reciprocal from man to man. But wrapt up in our own short moment, we forget our neighbour's long hour! and existence is ultimately embittered to all, by the refined susceptibility for ourselves that monopolizes our feelings.”
“The civility of young Branghton, I much suspect, was merely the result of his father's commands”
“Why he's a poet, you know, so he may live upon learning.”