Geoffrey Chaucer
The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people.Collection: Intelligence
Love is blind.Collection: Love
Time and tide wait for no man.Collection: Time
People can die of mere imagination.Collection: Imagination
By nature, men love newfangledness.Collection: Nature
Filth and old age, I'm sure you will agree, are powerful wardens upon chastity.Collection: Age
Women desire six things: They want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous, obedient to wife, and lively in bed.Collection: Women
What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing.Collection: Good Woman
All good things must come to an end.Collection: Sad
It is nought good a sleping hound to wake.Collection: Hounds
The devil can only destroy those who are already on their way to damnation.Collection: Devil
Many a true word is spoken in jestCollection: Jest
The life so brief, the art so long in the learning, the attempt so hard, the conquest so sharp, the fearful joy that ever slips away so quickly - by all this I mean love, which so sorely astounds my feeling with its wondrous operation, that when I think upon it I scarce know whether I wake or sleep.Collection: Art
Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.Collection: Inspirational
The guilty think all talk is of themselves.Collection: Thinking
Strike while the iron is hot.Collection: Wise
Great peace is found in little busy-ness.Collection: Littles
For there is one thing I can safely say: that those bound by love must obey each other if they are to keep company long. Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell he is gone. Love is a thing as free as any spirit; women naturally desire liberty, and not to be constrained like slaves; and so do men, if I shall tell the truth.Collection: Love
Women naturally desire the same six things as I; they want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous with money, obedient to the wife, and lively in bed.Collection: Wise
The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.Collection: Inspirational
He who accepts his poverty unhurt I'd say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get.Collection: Poverty
Patience is a conquering virtue.Collection: Conquer
Forbid us something, and that thing we desire.Collection: Desire
Many small make a great.Collection: Science
I am not the rose, but I have lived near the rose.Collection: Rose
In the stars is written the death of every man.Collection: Death
Mercy surpasses justice.Collection: Justice
If a man really loves a woman, of course he wouldn't marry her for the world if he were not quite sure that he was the best person she could possibly marry.Collection: Men
With empty hand no man can lure a hawk.Collection: Men
One shouldn't be too inquisitive in life Either about God's secrets or one's wife.Collection: Marriage
And she was fair as is the rose in May.Collection: Flower
The latter end of joy is woe.Collection: Joy
And gladly would he learn, and gladly teachCollection: Ministry
Look up on high, and thank the God of all.Collection: Thankfulness
Trouthe is the hyest thyng that man may kepe.Collection: Men
Men love newfangleness.Collection: Men
And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.Collection: Canterbury Tales
And as for me, thogh that I can but lyte, On bakes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yeve I feyth and ful credence, And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon, That fro my bokes maketh me to goon, But hit be seldom, on the holyday; Save, certeynly, when that the month of May Is comen, and that I here the foules singe, And that the floures ginnen for to springe, Farwel my book and my devocion.Collection: Book
Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And let him seen a mous go by the wal; Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous.Collection: Cat
The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne. Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge, The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne; Al this mene I be love... For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere.Collection: Men
Love will not be constrain'd by mastery. When mast'ry comes, the god of love anon Beateth his wings, and, farewell, he is gone. Love is a thing as any spirit free.Collection: Farewell
He is gentle that doeth gentle deeds.Collection: Deeds
What's said is said and goes upon its way Like it or not, repent it as you may.Collection: May
For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so Then people long on pilgrimage to go And palmers to be seeking foreign strands To distant shrines renowned in sundry lands.Collection: Spiritual
He loved chivalrye Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye.Collection: Love
My house is small, but you are learned men And by your arguments can make a place Twenty foot broad as infinite as space.Collection: Men
To keep demands as much skill as to win.Collection: Winning
One cannot be avenged for every wrong; according to the occasion, everyone who knows how, must use temperance.Collection: Use
Abstinence is approved of God.Collection: Abstinence