William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals.

Heaven takes care that no man secures happiness by crime.

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.

If we started prosecuting people for sin, we’d all be in jail.

Whatever our creed, we feel that no good deed can by any possibility go unrewarded, no evil deed unpunished.

The eternal conflict of good and the best with bad and the worst is on.

Sin brought death, and death will disappear with the disappearance of sin.

Many a thief is a better man than many a clergyman, and miles nearer to the gate of the kingdom.

But this will not do, God will certainly punish you for stealing and for being unfaithful.

The better day, the worse deed.

Wickedness is its own punishment.

The man who was excellent, I rewarded him well; who was evil, I punished him well.

He that does evil hates the light.

No one may do evil that good may come.

Prisons are built with stones of Law, brothels with bricks of Religion.

When you're talking about villainy, then you're automatically circling around to talk about justice.

I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.

From the days of Cain and Abel, we know all too well there will always be evil. But that evil shouldn't take away our freedoms.

There are good characters and bad characters.

Successful and fortunate crime is called virtue.

The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone.

They do injury to the good who spares the bad.

To sin offers repentance and forgiveness; not to sin offers only punishment.

Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.

Only a writer who has the sense of evil can make goodness readable.