“I have often wondered, Sir, [. . .] to observe so few Instances of Charity among Mankind; for tho' the Goodness of a Man's Heart did not incline him to relieve the Distresses of his Fellow-Creatures, methinks the Desire of Honour should move him to it. What inspires a Man to build fine Houses, to purchase fine Furniture, Pictures, Clothes, and other things at a great Expence, but an Ambition to be respected more than other People? Now would not one great Act of Charity, one Instance of redeeming a poor Family from all the Miseries of Poverty, restoring an unfortunate Tradesman by a Sum of Money to the means of procuring a Livelihood by his Industry, discharging an undone Debtor from his Debts or a Goal, or any such Example of Goodness, create a Man more Honour and Respect than he could acquire by the finest House, Furniture, Pictures or Clothes that were ever beheld? For not only the Object himself who was thus relieved, but all who heard the Name of such a Person must, I imagine, reverence him infinitely more than the Possessor of all those other things: which when we so admire, we rather praise the Builder, the Workman, the Painter, the Laceman, the Taylor, and the rest, by whose Ingenuity they are produced, than the Person who by his Money makes them his own.”
Henry Fielding“When widows exclaim loudly against second marriages, I would always lay a wager than the man, If not the wedding day, is absolutely fixed on.”
Henry Fielding“LOVE: A word properly applied to our delight in particular kinds of food sometimes metaphorically spoken of the favorite objects of all our appetites.”
Henry Fielding“All nature wears one universal grin.”
Henry Fielding“Happy the man and happy he alone He can call today his own. He who secure within can say "Tomorrow do thy worst for I have lived today."”
Henry Fielding“This story will never go down.”
Henry Fielding“Happy the man and happy he alone He who can call today his own He who secure within can say "Tomorrow do thy worst For I have lived today."”
Henry Fielding“Money is the fruit of evil as often as the root of it.”
Henry Fielding“His designs were strictly honourable as the phrase is: that is to rob a lady of her fortune by way of marriage.”
Henry Fielding“Thwackum was for doing justice and leaving mercy to heaven.”
Henry Fielding“The only incorruptible thing about us.”
Henry Fielding