George Farquhar (1678–1707) was an Irish playwright. He was the most popular dramatist of the late-Restoration and early-eighteenth-century London theater.
Born in Londonderry, now in Northern Ireland, Farquhar become an actor by age 18, but renounced acting after wounding a fellow actor by mistake. He moved to London and began writing comedies.
Farquhar’s plays, including the classic The Constant Couple (1699,) The Recruiting Officer (1706,) and The Beaux’ Stratagem (1707,) are renowned for his combination of realism, humor, caustic satire, and depth of character.
Farquhar also wrote the novella The Adventures of Covent Garden (1698) and the collection of letters and poems Love and Business (1702.)
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Spite of all modesty, a man must own a pleasure in the hearing of his praise.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Praise
Poetry is a mere drug, Sir.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Poetry, Poets
Those who know the least obey the best.
—George Farquhar
Crimes, like virtues, are their own rewards.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Crime
There’s no scandal like rags, nor any crime so shameful as poverty.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Poverty
We are the men of intrinsic value, who can strike our fortunes out of ourselves, whose worth is independent of accidents in life, or revolutions in government: we have heads to get money, and hearts to spend it.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Government
Women never truly command, till they have given their promise to obey; and they are never in more danger of being made slaves, than when the men are at their feet.
—George Farquhar
When the blind lead the blind, no wonder they both fall into — matrimony.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Marriage
We love the precepts for the teacher’s sake.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Teaching
I believe they talked of me, for they laughed consumedly.
—George Farquhar
Grant me some wild expressions, Heavens, or I shall burst.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Swearing, Vulgarity
Money is the sinews of love, as of war.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Money
Observe this, that tho a woman swear, forswear, lie, dissemble, back-bite, be proud, vain, malicious, anything, if she secures the main chance, she’s still virtuous; that’s a maxim.
—George Farquhar
Topics: Women
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