Great Throughts Treasury

"Weigh not so much what men say, as what they prove; remembering that truth is simple and naked, and needs not invective to apparel her comeliness."

"Ungratefulness is the very poison of manhood."

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

"The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action."

"Vice is but a nurse of agonies."

"As in labor, the more one doth exercise, the more one is enabled to do, strength growing upon work; so, with the use of suffering, men’s minds get the habit of suffering, and all fears and terrors are to them but as a summons to battle, whereof they know beforehand they shall come off victorious."

"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."

"As the love of the heavens make us heavenly, the love of virtue virtuous, so doth the love of the world make one become worldly."

"There is no man suddenly either extremely good or extremely evil."

"Hope is the fawning traitor of the mind, while, under colour of friendship, it robs it of its chief force of resolution."

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

"It is cruelty in war that buyeth conquest,"

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

"Solitude, the sly enemy that doth separate a man from well-doing."

"In the truly great, virtue governs with the sceptre of knowledge and wisdom."

"The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity."

"Open suspecting of others come of secretly condemning ourselves."

"The glory and increase of wisdom stands in exercising it."

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

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

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

"The truly valiant dare everything but doing anybody an injury."

"They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts."

"Thinking nurseth thinking."

"Nor envy's snaky eye, finds harbour here, Nor flatterers' venomous insinuations, Nor cunning humorists' puddled opinions, Nor courteous ruin of proffered usury, Nor time prattled away, cradle of ignorance, Nor causeless duty, nor comber of arrogance, Nor trifling title of vanity dazzleth us, Nor golden manacles stand for a paradise"

"Who will in fairest book of Nature know How virtue may best lodged in beauty be, Let him but learn of love to read in thee, Stella, those fair lines which true goodness show. There shall he find all vices' overthrow, Not by rude force, but sweetest sovereignty Of reason."

"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, Th'indifferent judge between the high and low."

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

"A brave captain is as a root, out of which, as branches, the courage of his soldiers doth spring."

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage"

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

"A churlish courtesy rarely comes but either for gain or falsehood."

"Accounting my death less evil than the betraying of that sweet friend of mine."

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

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

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

"All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience."

"All Love is dead, infected With plague of deep disdain:"

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

"Among the best men are diversities of opinion, which should no more, in true reason, breed hatred, than one that loves black should be angry with him that is clothed in white; for thoughts are the very apparel of the mind."

"And Faith fair scorn doth gain. From so ungrateful fancy, From such a female franzy, From them that use men thus, Good Lord deliver us."

"An evil mind in authority doth not follow the sway of the desires already within it, but frames to itself new diseases not before thought of."

"Another will say it [the English tongue] wanteth grammar. Nay, truly, it hath that praise, that it wants not grammar; for grammar it might have, but needs it not."

"Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy."

"As well the soldier dieth which standeth still, as he that gives the bravest onset."

"Base natures joy to see hard happen to them they deem happy."

"Be careful to make friendship the child and not the father of virtue, for many are rather good friends than good men; so, although they do not like the evil their friend does, yet they like him who does the evil; and though no counselors of the offence, they yet protect the offender."

"Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite: "Fool!" said my muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write.""

"Beauty and use can so well agree together that of all the trinkets wherewith they are attired there is not one but serves to some necessary purpose."

"Beauty, which can give an edge to the bluntest sword."