William Makepeace Thackeray

“The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.”

“A good laugh is sunshine in the house.”

“To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.”

“Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.”

“Bravery never goes out of fashion.”

“Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.”

“All is vanity.”

“Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”

“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.”

“If a man's character is to be abused, say what you will, there's nobody like a relative to do the business.”

“A woman may be as wicked as she likes, but if she isn't pretty it won't do her much good.”

“Revenge may be wicked, but it's natural.”

“Good humour is one of the best articles of dress one can wear in society.”

“There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen to write.”

“Next to excellence is the appreciation of it.”

“Vanity Fair is a very vain, wicked, foolish place, full of all sorts of humbugs and falsenesses and pretensions.”