Quotes from work
The Man of Mode

The Man of Mode, or, Sir Fopling Flutter is a Restoration comedy by George Etherege, written in 1676. The play is set in Restoration London and follows the libertine Dorimant as he tries to win over the young heiress Harriet and to disengage himself from his affair with Mrs. Loveit. Despite the subtitle, the fop Sir Fopling is only one of several minor characters; the rake Dorimant is the protagonist.

“When love grows diseased, the best thing we can do is to put it to a violent death. I cannot endure the torture of a lingering and consumptive passion.”

George Etherege The Man of Mode

Act II, sc. ii
The Man of Mode (1676)

“Next to the coming to a good understanding with a new mistress, I love a quarrel with an old one.”

George Etherege The Man of Mode

Act I
The Man of Mode (1676)

“I know all beyond High Park's a desert to you.”

George Etherege The Man of Mode

Act V, sc. ii
Often misquoted as "Beyond Hyde Park all is a desert".
The Man of Mode (1676)

“Writing, madam, is a mechanic part of wit. A gentleman should never go beyond a song or a billet.”

George Etherege The Man of Mode

Act IV, sc. i
The Man of Mode (1676)