Philip Sidney
A churlish courtesy rarely comes but either for gain or falsehood.Collection: Kindness
It is cruelty in war that buyeth conquest.Collection: War
A just cause and a zealous defender make an imperious resolution cut off the tediousness of cautious discussions.Collection: Cutting
The heavens do not send good haps in handfuls; but let us pick out our good by little, and with care, from out much bad, that still our little world may know its king.Collection: Kings
...the poet, he nothing affirmeth, and therefore never lieth.Collection: Poet
Music, I say, the most divine striker of the senses.Collection: Divine
Scoffing cometh not of wisdom.Collection: Scoffing
The scourge of life, and death's extreme disgrace, The smoke of hell,--that monster called Paine.Collection: Pain
Misery and misfortune is all one; and of misfortune fortune hath only the gift.Collection: Misery
Fear is the underminer of all determinations; and necessity, the victorious rebel of all laws.Collection: Determination
In the truly great, virtue governs with the sceptre of knowledge.Collection: Virtue
No decking sets forth anything so much as affection.Collection: Affection
Contentions for trifles can get but a trifling victory.Collection: Victory
For as much as to understand and to be mighty are great qualities, the higher that they be, they are so much the less to be esteemed if goodness also abound not in the possessor.Collection: Greatness
Weigh not so much what men assert, as what they prove. Truth is simple and naked, and needs not invention to apparel her comeliness.Collection: Truth
There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving, but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking.Collection: Thinking
It is a lively spark of nobleness to descend in most favour to one when he is lowest in afflictionCollection: Sympathy
True bravery is quiet, undemonstrative.Collection: Bravery
Men are almost always cruel in their neighbors' faults; and make others' overthrow the badge of their own ill-masked virtue.Collection: Men
Reason! how many eyes hast thou to see evils, and how dim, nay, blind, thou art in preventing them.Collection: Art
Who will ever give counsel, if the counsel be judged by the event, and if it be not found wise, shall therefore be thought wicked?Collection: Wise
Take thou of me, sweet pillowes, sweetest bed; A chamber deafe of noise, and blind of light, A rosie garland and a weary hed.Collection: Sweet
The truly great and good, in affliction, bear a countenance more princely than they are wont; for it is the temper of the highest hearts, like the palm-tree, to strive most upwards when it is most burdened.Collection: Heart
Who doth desire that chaste his wife should be, first be he true, for truth doth truth deserve.Collection: Wife
There is nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion by authority, like too strong a liquor for a frail glass.Collection: Strong
The lightsome countenance of a friend giveth such an inward decking to the house where it lodgeth, as proudest palaces have cause to envy the gilding.Collection: Envy
The first mark of valor is defence.Collection: Courage
The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.Collection: Knowledge
There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity; the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable.Collection: Mind
Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers roll.Collection: War
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.Collection: Heart
I am no herald to inquire into men's pedigree; it sufficeth me if I know their virtues.Collection: Men
The day seems long, but night is odious; no sleep, but dreams; no dreams but visions strange.Collection: Dream
Valor is abased by too much loftiness.Collection: Too Much
Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker.Collection: Vain
Commonly they must use their feet for defense whose only weapon is their tongue.Collection: Feet
Liking is not always the child of beauty; but whatsoever is liked, to the liker is beautiful.Collection: Beauty
The observances of the church concerning feasts and fasts are tolerably well kept, since the rich keep the feasts and the poor the fasts.Collection: Church
Great captains do never use long orations when it comes to the point of execution.Collection: Long
Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.Collection: Giving
The journey of high honor lies not in smooth ways.Collection: Lying
It many times falls out that we deem ourselves much deceived in others because we first deceived ourselves.Collection: Fall
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.Collection: Sorrow