189 Quotes by Daniel Defoe

I then reflected, that as God, who was not only righteous but omnipotent, had thought fit thus to punish and afflict me, so He was able to deliver me: that if He did not think fit to do so, it was my unquestioned duty to resign myself absolutely and entirely to His will; and, on the other hand, it was my duty also to hope in Him, pray to Him, and quietly to attend to the dictates and directions of His daily providence.

I shot at a great bird which I saw sitting upon a tree on the side of a great wood.

But from these three cats I afterwards came to be so pestered with cats that I was forced to kill them like vermin or wild beasts, and to drive them from my house as much as possible.

Where love is the case, the doctor’s an ass.

But,” says he again “if god much strong, much might as the devil, why god no kill the devil, so make him no more do wicked?

Under these dreadful apprehensions I looked back on the life I had led with the utmost contempt and abhorrence. I blushed, and wondered at myself how I could act thus, how I could divest myself of modesty and honour, and prostitute myself for gain; and I thought, if ever it should please God to spare me this one time from death, it would not.

A rich man is an honest man – no thanks to him; for he would be a double knave, to cheat mankind when he had no need of it: he has no occasion to press upon his integrity, nor so much as to touch upon the borders of dishonesty.

And now, increasing in business and in wealth, my head began to be full of projects and undertakings beyond my reach; such as are indeed often the ruin of the best heads in business.

He look’d a little disorder’d, when he said this, but I did not apprehend any thing from it at that time, believing as it us’d to be said, that they who do those things never talk of them; or that they who talk of such things never do them.