Complete Works of Anthony Trollope Quotes

“That girls should not marry for money we are all agreed. A lady who can sell herself for a title or an estate, for an income or a set of family diamonds, treats herself as a farmer treats his sheep and oxen — makes hardly more of herself, of her own inner self, in which are comprised a mind and soul, than the poor wretch of her own sex who earns her bread in the lowest stage of degradation. But a title, and an estate, and an income, are matters which will weigh in the balance with all Eve’s daughters — as they do with all Adam’s sons. Pride of place, and the power of living well in front of the world’s eye, are dear to us all; — are, doubtless, intended to be dear. Only in acknowledging so much, let us remember that there are prices at which these good things may be too costly.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“How am I to tell you what he said? He talked nonsense about my beauty, as all the men do. If a woman were hump-backed, and had only one eye, they wouldn’t be ashamed to tell her she was a Venus.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Miss Proudie was not quite so civil. Had Mr. Robarts been still unmarried, she also could have smiled sweetly; but she had been exercising smiles on clergymen too long to waste them now on a married parish parson.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Then in this country a man is to be punished or not, according to his ability to fee a lawyer!”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Jacob was not in such a hurry when he wished for Rachel.” “That was all very well for an old patriarch who had seven or eight hundred years to live.” “My dear John, you forget your Bible. Jacob did not live half as long as that.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“And so in truth she did. Miss Palliser had never analysed her own feelings and emotions about the Spooners whom she met in society; but she probably conceived that there were people in the world who, from certain accidents, were accustomed to sit at dinner with her, but who were no more fitted for her intimacy than were the servants who waited upon her. Such people were to her little more than the tables and chairs with which she was brought in contact. They were persons with whom it seemed to her to be impossible that she should have anything in common, — who were her inferiors, as completely as were the menials around her.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“I should give such advice myself, knowing that a friend may give counsel as to outer things, but that a man must satisfy his inner conscience by his own perceptions of what is right and what is wrong.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“It was true, however, that he sometimes startled his hearers by things which might have been considered to border on coarseness if they had not been said by a clergyman.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“She had seen no one who had so touched her. But she was alive to the romance of the thing, and was in love with the idea of being in love.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“It might have been seen, I said, with half an eye, that Mr. Broughton did not like the state of the money-market; and it might also be seen with the other half that he had been endeavouring to mitigate the bitterness of his dislike by alcoholic aid. Musselboro at once perceived that his patron and partner was half drunk, and Crosbie was aware that he had been drinking.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“But Johnny hasn’t got twelve children, Tom.” “One doesn’t have a cousin in trouble every day,” said Toogood. “And then you see there’s something very pretty in the case. It’s quite a pleasure getting it up.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“It is good to be beautiful, but it should come of God and not of the hairdresser. And personal dignity is a great possession; but a man should struggle for it no more than he would for beauty.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“When he knows,” continued Mary, who would not be put down, “that I love another man with all my heart. What will Lord Popplecourt say if I tell him that? If he says anything to me, I shall tell him. Lord Popplecourt! He cares for nothing but his coal-mines. Of course, if you bid me see him I will; but it can do no good. I despise him, and if he troubles me I shall hate him. As for marrying him, — I would sooner die this minute”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Nevertheless, it is not an uncommon thing to hear openly at the clubs an account of what has been settled; and, as we all know, not a council is held as to which the editor of The People’s Banner does not inform its readers next day exactly what took place.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Yes; — if there were children. And it will come back to her if he dies first. But mad people never do die. That’s a well-known fact. They’ve nothing to trouble them, and they live for ever. It’ll all go to some cousin of his that nobody ever saw”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“But Mr. Daubeny, as soon as he had made his statement, stalked out of the House, and no reply whatever was made to the independent Members. Some few sublime and hot-headed gentlemen muttered the word “impeachment.” Others, who were more practical and less dignified, suggested that the Prime Minister “ought to have his head punched.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Do they sit altogether mostly all the morning?” “I fancy they do.” “I suppose there’s some way of dividing them. They tell me you know all about women. If you want to get one to yourself, how do you manage it?”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“The party to which he belonged had, as he knew, endeavoured to avoid the subject of the disendowment of the Church of England. It is the necessary nature of a political party in this country to avoid, as long as it can be avoided, the consideration of any question which involves a great change.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“It cannot, however, be said that this Petruchio had as yet tamed his own peculiar shrew. Lucinda was as savage as ever, and would snap and snarl, and almost bite.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“she would remain up-stairs with her child. She always made use of her child when troubles came”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“The form and face of Lady Eustace, which indeed were very lovely, were distasteful to her; whereas she delighted to look upon the broad, plain, colourless countenance of Lydia Fawn, who was endeared to her by frank good humour and an unselfish disposition. In regard to men she had never asked herself the question whether this man was handsome or that man ugly.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Lady Linlithgow was worldly, stingy, ill-tempered, selfish, and mean. Lady Linlithgow would cheat a butcher out of a mutton-chop, or a cook out of a month’s wages, if she could do so with some slant of legal wind in her favour. She would tell any number of lies to carry a point in what she believed to be social success. It was said of her that she cheated at cards. In back-biting, no venomous old woman between Bond Street and Park Lane could beat her, — or, more wonderful still, no venomous old man at the clubs. But nevertheless she recognised certain duties,”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“When such men as Laurence Fitzgibbon were called upon to act as governors, was it not to be expected that the ignorant but still intelligent Bunces of the population should— “d––––n it all”?”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“If it comes to be a question of soul-saving, Mr. Bunce, I shan’t save my place at the expense of my conscience.” “Not if you knows it, you mean. But the worst of it is that a man gets so thick into the mud that he don’t know whether he’s dirty or clean. You’ll have to wote as you’re told, and of course you’ll think it’s right enough. Ain’t you been among Parliament gents long enough to know that that’s the way it goes?”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Mrs Greenow had told Captain Bellfield at their last meeting before she left Norwich, that, under certain circumstances, if he behaved himself well, there might possibly be ground of hope. Whereupon Captain Bellfield had immediately gone to the best tailor in that city, had told the man of his coming marriage, and had given an extensive order. But the tailor had not as yet supplied the goods, waiting for more credible evidence of the Captain’s good fortune.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Then Mrs. Grantly, working hard in her vocation as a peacemaker, changed the conversation again, and began to talk of the American war. But even that was made matter of discord on church matters, — the archdeacon professing an opinion that the Southerners were Christian gentlemen, and the Northerners infidel snobs; whereas Mrs. Proudie had an idea that the Gospel was preached with genuine zeal in the Northern States.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“She probably cared but little for either of them. She was one of those women to whom it is not given by nature to care very much for anybody. But, of the two, she certainly cared the most for Mr. Dobbs Broughton, — because Mr. Dobbs Broughton belonged to her.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“We must not be philosophical before her. Mamma, Major Grantly has — skedaddled.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Grace was allowed to return by Silverbridge, and to take what was needed from Miss Prettyman. Who can tell of the mending and patching, of the weary wearing midnight hours of needlework which were accomplished before the poor girl went, so that she might not reach her friend’s house in actual rags?”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope

“Young men in such matters are so often without any fixed thoughts! They are such absolute moths. They amuse themselves with the light of the beautiful candle, fluttering about, on and off, in and out of the flame with dazzled eyes, till in a rash moment they rush in too near the wick, and then fall with singed wings and crippled legs, burnt up and reduced to tinder by the consuming fire of matrimony. Happy marriages, men say, are made in heaven, and I believe it.”
― Anthony Trollope, Complete Works of Anthony Trollope