François Rabelais quotes
François Rabelais (1494–1553): 16th-century French writer and humanist. The library holds 53 quotes by François Rabelais, drawn from Works, Motteux’s Life, Works. The Author’s Prologue to the Fifth and other works. The 53 below are the most quoted; search the library in the maker for the rest.
Often about: life, health, time, faith, truth, nature
The best-known François Rabelais quotes
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One half of the world knows not how the other half lives.
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The Devil was sick,—the Devil a monk would be; The Devil was well,—the devil a monk was he.
Works, Book iv. Chap. xxiv -
By robbing Peter he paid Paul,… and hoped to catch larks if ever the heavens should fall.
Works, Book i. Chap. xi -
Speak the truth and shame the Devil.
Works. The Author’s Prologue to the Fifth Book -
What cannot be cured must be endured.
Works, Book v. Chapter xv -
You are Christians of the best edition, all picked and culled.
Works, Book iv. Chap. l -
Panurge had no sooner heard this, but he was upon the high-rope.
Works, Book v. Chapter xviii -
What is got over the Devil’s back is spent under the belly.
Works, Book v. Chapter xi -
In sooth, it is a shame to choose rather to be still borrowing in all places, from everybody, than to work and win.
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Appetite comes with eating, i.e., the more one has, the more one would have.
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I would have you call to mind the strength of the ancient giants, that undertook to lay the high mountain Pelion on the top of Ossa, and set among those the shady Olympus.
Works, Book iv. Chap. xxxviii -
Opportunity has hair in front, but is bald behind; if you meet her, seize her by the forelock, for Jove himself cannot catch her again if once let slip.
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I am going in quest of a great perhaps; let the curtain drop, the farce is played out.
On his deathbed -
The belly has no ears, nor is it to be filled with fair words.
Works, Book iv. Chap. lxii -
How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself?
Works, Book i. Chap. lii -
In all companies there are more fools than wise men, and the greater part always gets the better of the wiser.
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He freshly and cheerfully asked him how a man should kill time.
Works, Book iv. Chap. lxii -
Subject to a kind of disease, which at that time they called lack of money.
Works, Book ii. Chap. xvi -
Do not believe what I tell you here any more than if it were some tale of a tub.
Works, Book iv. Chap. xxxviii -
Thought I to myself, we shall never come off scot-free.
Works, Book v. Chapter xv -
He left a paper sealed up, wherein were found three articles as his last will: “I owe much; I have nothing; I give the rest to the poor.”
Motteux’s Life -
Needs must when the Devil drives.
Works, Book iv. Chap. lvii -
Necessity has no law.
Works, Book v. Chapter xv -
It is enough to fright you out of your seven senses.
Works, Book v. Chapter xv -
The devil was sick, the devil a saint would be; The devil was well, the devil a saint was he.
Works, Bk. iv., Ch. xxiv -
One inch of joy surmounts of grief a span, Because to laugh is proper to the man.
To the Reader -
Time, which gnaws and diminishes all things else, augments and increases benefits, because a noble action of liberality done to a man of reason doth grow continually by his generously thinking of it and remembering it.
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Above the pitch, out of tune, and off the hinges.
Works, Book iv. Chap. xix -
I believe he would make three bites of a cherry.
Works, Book v. Chapter xxviii -
Looking as like… as one pea does like another.
Works, Book v. Chapter ii -
We saw a knot of others, about a baker’s dozen.
Works, Book v. Chapter xxii -
Let down the curtain: the farce is done.
Motteux’s Life -
Thought the moon was made of green cheese.
Works, Book i. Chap. xi -
Appetite comes with eating, says Angeston.
Works, Book i. Chap. v -
You have there hit the nail on the head.
Works, Book iii. Chap. xxxiv -
Then I began to think that it is very true which is commonly said, that the one half of the world knoweth not how the other half liveth.
Works, Book ii. Chap. xxxii -
Nothing is so dear and precious as time.
Works, Book v. Chapter v -
We will take the good will for the deed.
Works, Book iv. Chap. xlix -
Scampering as if the Devil drove them.
Works, Book iv. Chap. lxii -
I am just going to leap into the dark.
Motteux’s Life -
Send them home as merry as crickets.
Works, Book i. Chap. xxix -
Let us fly and save our bacon.
Works, Book iv. Chap. lv -
Plain as a nose in a man’s face.
Works. The Author’s Prologue to the Fifth Book -
Others made a virtue of necessity.
Works, Book v. Chapter xxii -
I drink no more than a sponge.
Works, Book i. Chap. v -
A good crier of green sauce.
Works, Book ii. Chap. xxxi -
Corn is the sinews of war.
Works, Book i. Chap. xlvi -
To return to our wethers.
Works, Book i. Chap. i. n. 2 -
Would you damn your precious soul?
Works, Book iv. Chap. liv -
You shall never want rope enough.
Works, Prologue to the Fifth Book -
How well I feathered my nest.
Works, Book ii. Chap. xvii -
We have here other fish to fry.
Works, Book v. Chapter xii -
Spare your breath to cool your porridge.
Works, Book v. Chapter xxviii Disputed attribution
Where these quotes come from
- Works (40 quotes)
- Motteux’s Life (3 quotes)
- Works. The Author’s Prologue to the Fifth (2 quotes)
- On his deathbed (1 quote)
- To the Reader (1 quote)
Every quote comes from a public-domain edition. How the library was made .