Philip sidney quotes

High-erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy.

The journey of high honor lies not in smooth ways.

There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity; the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable.

Fear is far more painful to cowardice than death to true courage.

Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers roll.

A popular license is indeed the many-headed tyrant.

I seek no better warrant than my own, conscience.

The general goodness, which is nourished in noble hearts makes every one think that strength of virtue to be in another whereof they find assured foundation in themselves.

Courage without discipline is nearer beastliness than manhood.

He whom passion rules, is bent to meet his death.

It many times falls out that we deem ourselves much deceived in others because we first deceived ourselves.

Happiness is a sunbeam, which may pass though a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray.

Woman was formed to admire; man to be admirable. His are the glories of the sun at noonday; hers the softened splendors of the midnight moon.

It depends on education--that holder of the keys which the Almighty hath put into our hands--to open the gates which lead to virtue or to vice, to happiness or misery.

A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.

Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.

There is nothing evil but what is within us; the rest is either natural or accidental.

Inquisitiveness is an uncomely guest.

With a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.

Remember that in all miseries lamenting becomes fools, and action, wise folk.

The best legacy I can leave my children is free speech, and the example of using it.

Great is not great to the greater.

Liking is not always the child of beauty; but whatsoever is liked, to the liker is beautiful.

Laws are not made like lime-twigs or nets, to catch everything that toucheth them; but rather like sea-marks, to guide from shipwreck the ignorant passenger.

Whether your time calls you to live or die, do both like a prince.

My true love hath my heart, and I have his

Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.

In shame there is no comfort but to be beyond all bounds of shame.

A dull head thinks of no better way to show himself wise, than by suspecting everything in his way.

It is against womanhood to be forward in their own wishes.

The judgment of the world stands upon matter of fortune.

Gold can gild a rotten stick, and dirt sully an ingot.

Sweet speaking oft a currish heart reclaims.

We become willing servants to the good by the bonds their virtues lay upon us.

Ring out your bells! Let mourning show be spread! For Love is dead.

Much more may a judge overweigh himself in cruelty than in clemency.

The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.

The highest point outward things can bring unto, is the contentment of the mind; with which no estate can be poor, without which all estates will be miserable.

I am no herald to inquire into men's pedigree; it sufficeth me if I know their virtues.

Laughter almost ever cometh of things most disproportioned to ourselves and nature: delight hath a joy in it either permanent or present; laughter hath only a scornful tickling.

Reason cannot show itself more reasonable than to cease reasoning on things above reason.

Plato found fault that the poets of his time filled the world with wrong opinions of the gods, making light tales of that unspotted essence, and therefore would not have the youth depraved with such opinions.

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.

To be ambitious of true honor and of the real glory and perfection of our nature is the very principle and incentive of virtue; but to be ambitious of titles, place, ceremonial respects, and civil pageantry, is as vain and little as the things are which we court

Ambition, like love, can abide no lingering; and ever urgeth on his own successes, hating nothing but what may stop them.

To be rhymed to death as is said to be done in Ireland.

Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves.

Every base occupation makes one sharp in its practice, and dull in every other.

It is a great happiness to be praised of them that are most praise-worthy.

No is no negative in a woman's mouth.

Valor is abased by too much loftiness.

Thinking nurseth thinking.

Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker.

O you virtuous owle, The wise Minerva's only fowle.

A noble heart, like the sun, showeth its greatest countenance in its lowest estate.

To the disgrace of men it is seen that there are women both more wise to judge what evil is expected, and more constant to bear it when it happens.

A noble cause doth ease much a grievous case.

Alexander received more bravery of mind by the pattern of Achilles, than by hearing the definition of fortitude.

Ungratefulness is the very poison of manhood.

It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.

Fool," said my muse to me. "Look in thy heart and write.

Fearfulness, contrary to all other vices, maketh a man think the better of another, the worse of himself.

Shallow brooks murmur most, deep and silent slide away.

Some are unwisely liberal, and more delight to give presents than to pay debts.

High honor is not only gotten and born by pain and danger, but must be nursed by the like, else it vanisheth as soon as it appears to the world.

Lovely sweetness is the noblest power of woman, and is far fitter to prevail by parley than by battle.

Like the air-invested heron, great persons should conduct themselves; and the higher they be, the less they should show.

The violence of sorrow is not at the first to be striven withal; being, like a mighty beast, sooner tamed with following than overthrown by withstanding.

They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.

Come Sleep! Oh Sleep, the certain knot of peace, the baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe, the poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release, the indifferent judge between the high and low.

What is birth to a man if it shall be a stain to his dead ancestors to have left such an offspring?

Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy.

Commonly they must use their feet for defense whose only weapon is their tongue.

O sweet woods, the delight of solitariness!

As the fertilest ground, must be manured, so must the highest flying wit have a Daedalus to guide him.

Our poor eyes were so enriched as to behold, and our low hearts so exalted as to love, a maid who is such, that as the greatest thing the world can show is her beauty, so the least thing that may be praised in her is her beauty.

There have been many most excellent poets that have never versified, and now swarm many versifiers that need never answer to the name of poets.

Fortify courage with the true rampart of patience.

The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity.

Honor, thou strong idol of man's mind.

Either I will find a way, or I will make one.

Give tribute, but not oblation, to human wisdom.

It is manifest that all government of action is to be gotten by knowledge, and knowledge best, by gathering many knowledges, which is reading.

A fair woman shall not only command without authority but persuade without speaking.

How violently do rumors blow the sails of popular judgments! How few there be that can discern between truth and truth-likeness, between shows and substance!

The truly great man is as apt to forgive as his power is able to revenge.

Self-love is better than any gilding to make that seem gorgeous wherein ourselves be parties.

The many-headed multitude, whom inconstancy only doth by accident guide to well-doing! Who can set confidence there, where company takes away shame, and each may lay the fault upon his fellow?

Nothing has a letter effect upon children than praise.

Friendship is made fast by interwoven benefits.

In the performance of a good action, we not only benefit ourselves, but we confer a blessing upon others.

The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.

Provision is the foundation of hospitality, and thrift the fuel of magnificence.

Often extraordinary excellence, not being rightly conceived, does rather offend than please.

The day seems long, but night is odious; no sleep, but dreams; no dreams but visions strange.

Courage ought to be guided by skill, and skill armed by courage. Neither should hardiness darken wit, nor wit cool hardiness. Be valiant as men despising death, but confident as unwonted to be overcome.

If you neglect your work, you will dislike it; if you do it well, you will enjoy it

Doing good is the only certainly happy action of a man's life.

In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey.

Poetry, a speaking picture to teach and delight.

The first mark of valor is defence.

Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge.

It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened.

Truth is the ground of science, the centre wherein all things repose, and is the type of eternity.

Ambition thinks no face so beautiful as that which looks from under a crown.

He travels safe and not unpleasantly who is guarded by poverty and guided by love.

Every present occasion will catch the senses of the vain man; and with that bridle and saddle you may ride him.

It is hard, but it is excellent, to find the right knowledge of when correction is necessary and when grace doth most avail.

There is a certain delicacy which in yielding conquers; and with a pitiful look makes one find cause to crave help one's self.

In the clear mind of virtue treason can find no hiding-place.

Great captains do never use long orations when it comes to the point of execution.

Malice, in its false witness, promotes its tale with so cunning a confusion, so mingles truths with falsehoods, surmises with certainties, causes of no moment with matters capital, that the accused can absolutely neither grant nor deny, plead innocen.

Unlawful desires are punished after the effect of enjoying; but impossible desires are punished in the desire itself.

The observances of the church concerning feasts and fasts are tolerably well kept, since the rich keep the feasts and the poor the fasts.

You will never live to my age without you keep yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with joyfulness.

As well the soldier dieth who standeth still as he that gives the bravest onset.

There is no man suddenly either excellently good or extremely evil, but grows either as he holds himself up in virtue or lets himself slide to viciousness.

Hope itself is a pain, while it is overmatched by fear.

Cupid makes it his sport to pull the warrior's plum.

Love, one time, layeth burdens; another time, giveth wings.

For the uttering sweetly and properly the conceit of the mind, English hath it equally with any other tongue in the world.

Who shoots at the mid-day sun, though he be so sure he shall never hit the mark, yet as sure as he is, he shall shoot higher than he who aims at a bush.

It is not good to wake a sleeping lion.

Remember always, that man is a creature whose reason is often darkened with error.

All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.