Fuller, Thomas (1654) -- Introductio ad Prudentiam, Vol. 2, # 2214 (1727)

Dave — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:47:03 +0000

When thou art in the Company of Ladies behave civilly, and shew good Breeding. They will easily pardon a Man’s Want of Sense, but rarely his Want of Manners.

Thomas Fuller (1654-1734) English physician, preacher, aphorist, writer
Introductio ad Prudentiam, Vol. 2, # 2214 (1727)
(Source)

Goethe, Johann von -- Elective Affinities [Die Wahlverwandtschaften], Part 2, ch. 5, “From Ottilie’s Journal [Aus Ottiliens Tagebuche]” (1809) [Niles ed. (1872)]

Dave — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:05:44 +0000

No one would ever come into a mixed party with spectacles on his nose, if he did but know that at once we women lose all pleasure in looking at him or listening to what he has to say.

[Es käme niemand mit der Brille auf der Nase in ein vertrauliches Gemach, wenn er wüßte, daß uns Frauen sogleich die Lust vergeht ihn anzusehen und uns mit ihm zu unterhalten.]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, statesman, scientist
Elective Affinities [Die Wahlverwandtschaften], Part 2, ch. 5, “From Ottilie’s Journal [Aus Ottiliens Tagebuche]” (1809) [Niles ed. (1872)]
(Source)

(Source (German)). Alternate translation:

No one would come into a private room wearing spectacles if he realized that we women at once lose all desire to look at or talk with him.
[tr. Hollingdale (1971)]

WIST Quotations

Fuller, Thomas (1654) -- Introductio ad Prudentiam, Vol. 2, # 2214 (1727)

Goethe, Johann von -- Elective Affinities [Die Wahlverwandtschaften], Part 2, ch. 5, “From Ottilie’s Journal [Aus Ottiliens Tagebuche]” (1809) [Niles ed. (1872)]