Jonathan Swift remained single all his life so his quotes on marriage aren’t based on personal experience. On the other hand, he loved the company of women and was a keen observer of human nature.
Swift was involved in at least two intense relationships, one with Esther “Stella” Johnson and one with Esther “Vanessa” Vanhomrigh. Both were immortalised in his writings: The Journal to Stella, and Cadenus and Vanessa.
As with all Swift quotes, it’s important to remember that he was a satirist and sometimes his true meaning was the exact opposite of what is being said.
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As love without esteem is capricious and volatile; esteem without love is languid and cold.
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Venus, a beautiful, good-natured lady,
was the goddess of love;
Juno, a terrible shrew, the goddess of marriage;
and they were always mortal enemies.
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Our passions are like convulsion fits, which, though they make us stronger for the time, leave us the weaker ever after.
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In church your grandsire cut his throat;
To do the job too long he tarried:
He should have had my hearty vote
To cut his throat before he married.
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The reason why so few marriages are happy is because young ladies spend their time in making nets, not in making cages.
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A chuck under the chin is worth two kisses.
A chuck is an old word meaning playful touch or caress.
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Happiness is the perpetual possession of being well deceived.
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