Thomas Fuller was an influential English clergyman, historian and chaplain to King Charles I.
Born in Aldwinkle St Peter’s, Northamptonshire, he was educated at Queens’ and Sidney Sussex colleges, Cambridge and served as rector of Broadwindsor, Dorset.
A moderate Royalist, Fuller followed the Civil War as chaplain to Sir Ralph Hopton and started collecting information on England’s worthies.
After the Restoration, he became the King’s extraordinary chaplain.
Fuller published several notable works such as “The Holy State and the Profane State” (1642), “Good Thoughts in Bad Times” (1645) and “A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine” (1650).
His magnum opus, “The History of the Worthies of England,” a culmination of intensive research, appeared posthumously in 1662.
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Fuller’s writings, characterized by a lively curiosity, idiosyncratic caprices and a proclivity for aphorisms, have earned admiration from many, including Charles Lamb and S.T. Coleridge.
His unique contribution to English literature remains respected and cherished to this day.
I have compiled the best quotes of Thomas Fuller for you.
Inspirational Thomas Fuller Quotes
1. “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
2. “Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
3. “An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
4. “Health is not valued till sickness comes.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
5. “A fool’s paradise is a wise man’s hell.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
6. “A stumble may prevent a fall.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
7. “It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
8. “The noblest revenge is to forgive.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
9. “All things are difficult before they are easy.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
10.. “Great hopes make great men.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
11. “Get the facts, or the facts will get you.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
12. “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
13. “Travel makes a wise man better, and a fool worse.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
14. “He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
15. “It is the property of fools to be always judging.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
16. “Friendships multiply joys and divide griefs.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
17. “Charity begins at home, but should not end there.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
18. “Good clothes open all doors.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
Best Thomas Fuller Quotes
19. “Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
20. “Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
21. “Serving one’s own passions is the greatest slavery.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
22. “Be a friend to thyself, and others will be so too.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
23. “If it were not for hopes, the heart would break.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
24. “He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
25. “Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
26. “One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
27. “It is madness for sheep to talk peace with a wolf.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
28. “Better a tooth out than always aching.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
29. “A book that is shut is but a block.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
30. “All doors open to courtesy.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
31. “Music is nothing else but wild sounds civilized into time and tune.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
32. “Bad excuses are worse than none.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
33. “In fair weather, prepare for foul.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
Top Thomas Fuller Quotes
34. “If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
35. “Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
36. “A few books well chosen, and well made use of will be more profitable than a great confused Alexandrian library.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
37. “A good garden may have some weeds.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
38. “Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
39. “Memory is the treasure house of the mind wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
40. “With foxes we must play the fox.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
41. “There is more pleasure in loving than in being beloved.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
42. “Choose a wife rather by your ear than your eye.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
43. “He who cures a disease may be the skillfullest, but he that prevents it is the safest physician.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
44. “Prayer: the key of the day and the lock of the night.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
45. “Memory depends very much on the perspicuity, regularity, and order of our thoughts. Many complain of the want of memory, when the defect is in the judgment; and others, by grasping at all, retain nothing.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
46. “He that travels much knows much.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
47. “The worse the passage the more welcome the port.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
48. “Despair gives courage to a coward.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
49. “He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
50. “Abused patience turns to fury.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
51. “A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
52. “Govern thy life and thy thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and read the other.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
53. “He’s my friend that speaks well of me behind my back.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
54. “Scalded cats fear even cold water.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
55. “Every horse thinks its own pack heaviest.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
56. “One may miss the mark by aiming too high as too low.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
57. “A drinker has a hole under his nose that all his money runs into.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
58. “No man can be happy without a friend, nor be sure of his friend till he is unhappy.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
59. “Thou ought to be nice, even to superstition, in keeping thy promises, and therefore equally cautious in making them.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
60. “Better break your word than do worse in keeping it.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
Famous Thomas Fuller Quotes
61. “Be the business never so painful, you may have it done for money.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
62. “With devotion’s visage and pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
63. “If an ass goes travelling he will not come home a horse.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
64. “If you have one true friend you have more than your share.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
65. “Change of weather is the discourse of fools.”~ Thomas Fuller.
66. “Men are more prone to revenge injuries than to requite kindness.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
67. “If you would have a good wife, marry one who has been a good daughter.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
68. “A lie has no leg, but a scandal has wings.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
69. “A wise man turns chance into good fortune.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
70. “A man in passion rides a horse that runs away with him.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
Short Thomas Fuller Quotes
71. “Compliments cost nothing, yet many pay dear for them.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
72. “You gazed at the moon and fell in the gutter.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
73. “Contentment consists not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some fire.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
74. “A good horse should be seldom spurred.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
75. “He that has a great nose, thinks everybody is speaking of it.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
76. “Learning hath gained most by those books by which the printers have lost.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
77. “Eaten bread is forgotten.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
78. “The more wit the less courage.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
79. “Many come to bring their clothes to church rather than themselves.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
80. “Let him who expects one class of society to prosper in the highest degree, while the other is in distress, try whether one side; of the face can smile while the other is pinched.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
81. “He that has one eye is a prince among those that have none.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
82. “There is nothing that so much gratifies an ill tongue as when it finds an angry heart.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
83. “A gift, with a kind countenance, is a double present.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
84. “Cruelty is a tyrant that’s always attended with fear.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
85. “A good friend is my nearest relation.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
Inspiring Thomas Fuller Quotes
86. “Light, God’s eldest daughter, is a principal beauty in a building.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
87. “An ounce of cheerfulness is worth a pound of sadness to serve God with.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
88. “The devil lies brooding in the miser’s chest.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
89. “Unseasonable kindness gets no thanks.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
90. “Pride perceiving humility honorable, often borrows her cloak.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
91. “He that hopes no good fears no ill.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
92. “First get an absolute conquest over thyself, and then thou wilt easily govern thy wife.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
93. “A little skill in antiquity inclines a man to Popery.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
94. “We have all forgot more than we remember.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
95. “A fox should not be on the jury at a goose’s trial.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
96. “The patient is not likely to recover who makes the doctor his heir.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
97. “Fame is the echo of actions, resounding them to the world, save that the echo repeats only the last art, but fame relates all, and often more than all.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
98. “We are born crying, live complaining, and die disappointed.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
99. “Many would be cowards if they had courage enough.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
100. “We ought to see far enough into a hypocrite to see even his sincerity.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
101. “Few are fit to be entrusted with themselves.” ~ Thomas Fuller.
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Short Biography of Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian born on June 19, 1608, is renowned for his posthumous work, “Worthies of England.”
A prolific writer, he was among the first in England to earn a living solely from writing, supported by various patrons.
Fuller’s early education took place at Queens’ College, Cambridge, under his cousin Edward Davenant’s tutelage.
Despite his academic success, he moved to Sidney Sussex College after missing a fellowship.
| Full Name | Thomas Fuller |
| Born | 1608 Aldwinkle St Peter’s, Northamptonshire, England |
| Died | 16 August 1661 (aged 52–53) Covent Garden, London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Clergyman and Historian |
| Known for | Worthies of England |
He gained attention as an orator and received several church positions, including a prebend from his uncle in Salisbury in 1631.
Fuller’s influence extended to his participation in the 1640 Convocation of Canterbury.
His detailed writings on church proceedings remain a significant historical resource.
Quick Facts about Thomas Fuller
- Thomas Fuller was born on June 19, 1608, in Northamptonshire, England.
- He was the eldest son of a rector and was baptized at his father’s church.
- Fuller’s godfather was Dr. John Davenant, the bishop of Salisbury.
- He was recognized early on for his intelligence, described as “a boy of pregnant wit.”
- At just thirteen, Fuller was admitted to Queens’ College, Cambridge.
- He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1624-1625 and a Master of Arts in 1628.
- Fuller became a prolific writer and historian, known for his ability to live off his pen.
- His notable work, “Worthies of England,” was published posthumously in 1662.
- Fuller was also known for his oratory skills and began gaining attention in 1631.
- He received the rectory of Broadwindsor from his uncle in 1634.
- Fuller preached influential sermons at the Savoy Chapel in London.
- During the English Civil War, Fuller was a supporter of the royalist cause.
- He was not dispossessed of his living during the war but chose to relinquish it.
- Fuller joined the king at Oxford in 1643 and lived at Lincoln College.
- He authored several devotional texts during the war, including “Good Thoughts in Bad Times.”
- After the war, Fuller experienced personal losses, including his library and manuscripts.
- He continued to preach and write, avoiding conflict with Cromwell’s regime.
- Fuller briefly faced potential trouble from Cromwell’s “Tryers” but managed to evade serious consequences with his wit.
- He was at the Hague before Charles II’s restoration, aligning with royalist supporters.
- Fuller was reinstated as Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1660.
- Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, heard Fuller preach at the Savoy.
- His final role was Chaplain Extraordinary to Charles II.
- Fuller passed away on August 16, 1661, after contracting typhus.
- He was buried in St Dunstan’s Church, Cranford, Middlesex.
- Fuller published “The Historie of the Holy Warre” in 1639, a history of the Crusades.
- His other major works include “The Holy State and the Profane State” and “A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine.”
- Fuller’s writing style is noted for its wit and use of antithetic and axiomatic sentences.
- American essayist Samuel McChord Crothers appreciated Fuller’s intimate and friendly writing tone.
- Fuller was married twice and had several children with his second wife, Mary Roper.
- His son, John Fuller, also became a notable figure, overseeing the publication of his father’s “Worthies of England” and later becoming a rector.
Top Questions about Thomas Fuller
A: Thomas Fuller was admitted to Queens’ College, Cambridge at the age of thirteen.
A: Thomas Fuller’s godfather was Dr. John Davenant, the bishop of Salisbury.
A: During the English Civil War, Thomas Fuller was a supporter of the royalist cause.
A: In 1639, Thomas Fuller published “The Historie of the Holy Warre,” which focused on the history of the Crusades.
A: Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, heard Thomas Fuller preach at the Savoy Chapel in London.
A: After the English Civil War, Thomas Fuller experienced the loss of his library and manuscripts.
A: John Fuller oversaw the publication of his father’s notable work, “Worthies of England,” and later became a rector.
A: Thomas Fuller passed away on August 16, 1661, after contracting typhus and was buried in St Dunstan’s Church, Cranford, Middlesex.
