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Out of five hundred who speak glibly of love, not one can spell the first letter of his name.

— Marie de France Misattributed

Tel cinc cent parolent d'amur,
N'en sevent pas le pior tur,
Ne que est loiax druerie.

Original text (French)

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Love

More quotes by Marie de France

Anyone who intends to present a new story must approach the problem in a new way and speak so persuasively that the tale brings pleasure to people.

Love is not honourable, unless it is based on equality.

It would be less dangerous for a man to court every lady in an entire land than for a lady to remove a single besotted lover from her skirts, for he will immediately attempt to strike back.

But he who does not let his infirmity be known can scarcely expect to receive a cure. Love is an invisible wound within the body, and, since it has its source in nature, it is a long-lasting ill.

It is likewise with the proud, rich man: he will never have mercy on the poor man because of his hue or his cry, but if the poor man could wreak vengeance on him, then you would see the rich man bow.

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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.

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To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.

Bertrand Russell Marriage and Morals (1929)

Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.

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Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.

Alexander Pope

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Marie de France (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.