10 Quotes & Sayings By Margaret Cavendish

Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673) was an English writer and philosopher, best known for her work The Blazing World. She has also been called the first modern novelist. Cavendish was born in England at the beginning of the Thirty Years War. Her family was Catholic, but she was raised Protestant Read more

Cavendish studied theology at King's College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge she became interested in the new science being developed by Robert Boyle. She believed that she could combine Boyle's chemistry with theology, and the result would be the "new philosophy", which would combine all the sciences into "one great science." She wrote a series of articles for The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society that were published between 1666 and 1669 under the title "A Description of a New World." These articles described her ideas about chemistry and physics, as well as her ideas about how these sciences could be used for good.

Cavendish was influenced by Boyle's ideas on casuistry, or ethical reasoning based on experiment, which allowed one to follow what seemed to be good logic even if one's conclusions contradicted what other people thought was good logic. To Cavendish, science was not merely a scientific study of mechanics, but a way to study God's creation. She created her own cosmological system called "The Blazing World" where God created everything in six days, including stars that burned forever.

Later, she described this world as being made of fire that surrounds us all, so there is no absolute distinction between heaven and earth because it is all one big burning sphere.

1
...that in former ages they had been as wise as they are in this present, nay, wiser; for, said they, many in this age do think their forefathers have been fools, by which they prove themselves to be such. Margaret Cavendish
2
...that much gold, and great store of riches makes them mad, insomuch as they endeavour to destroy each other... Margaret Cavendish
3
There is little difference between man and beast, but what ambition and glory makes. Margaret Cavendish
4
I am not covetous, but as ambitious as ever any of my sex was, is, or can be; which makes, that though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second, yet I endeavour to be Margaret the First; and although I have neither power, time, not occasion to conquer the world as Alexander and Caesar did; yet rather than not be mistress of one, since Fortune and Fates would give me none, I have made a world of my own; for which nobody, I hope, will blame me, since it is in everyone's power to do the like. Margaret Cavendish
5
Women's Tongues are as sharp as two-edged Swords, and wound as much, when they are anger'd. Margaret Cavendish
6
Indeed, I was so afraid to dishonour my friends and family by my indiscreet actions, that I rather chose to be accounted a fool, than to be thought rude or wanton. Margaret Cavendish
7
Marriage is the grave or tomb of wit. Margaret Cavendish
8
And though my Lord hath lost his estate and been banished out of his country, yet neither despised poverty nor pinching necessity could make him break the bonds of friendship or weaken his loyal duty. Margaret Cavendish
9
For Pleasure, Delight, Peace and Felicity live in method and temperance. Margaret Cavendish