François Rabelais

It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.

Ignorance is the mother of all evils.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Tell the truth and shame the devil.

For he who can wait, everything comes in time.

In their rules there was only one clause: Do what you will.

A habit does not a monk make.

When undertaking marriage, everyone must be the judge of his own thoughts, and take counsel from himself.

Debts and lies are generally mixed together.

Friends, you will notice that in this world there are many more ballocks than men. Remember this.

I won't undertake war until I have tried all the arts and means of peace.

How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself?

Because just as arms have no force outside if there is no counsel within a house, study is vain and counsel useless that is not put to virtuous effect when the time calls.

If you wish to avoid seeing a fool you must first break your looking glass.

I have known many who could not when they would, for they had not done it when they could.

Believe me, 'tis a godlike thing to lend; to owe is a heroic virtue.

Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows continually through noble thought and memory.

To good and true love fear is forever affixed.

The right moment wears a full head of hair: when it has been missed, you can't get it back; it's bald in the back of the head and never turns around.

If the skies fall, one may hope to catch larks.

Remove idleness from the world and soon the arts of Cupid would perish.

I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him.

Science without conscience is the death of the soul.

Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective and valuable than words.

There is no truer cause of unhappiness amongst men than, where naturally expecting charity and benevolence, they receive harm and vexation.

Everything comes in time to those who can wait.

The scent of wine, oh how much more agreeable, laughing, praying, celestial and delicious it is than that of oil!

From the gut comes the strut, and where hunger reigns, strength abstains.

How can I govern others, who can't even govern myself?

Half the world does not know how the other half lives.

No clock is more regular than the belly.

When I drink, I think; and when I think, I drink.

There are more old drunkards than old physicians.

Misery is the company of lawsuits.

We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us.

I drink no more than a sponge.

The remedy for thirst? It is the opposite of the one for a dog bite: run always after a dog, he'll never bite you; drink always before thirst, and it will never overtake you.

The farce is finished. I go to seek a vast perhaps.

A bellyful is a bellyful.

Frugality is for the vulgar.

It is better to write of laughter than of tears, for laughter is the property of man.

One falls to the ground in trying to sit on two stools.

How do you know antiquity was foolish? How do you know the present is wise? Who made it foolish? Who made it wise?