Great Throughts Treasury

"Avarice destroys honor, integrity, and all other noble qualities."

"Every man is the architect of his own future (fortune)."

"It is far better to forget a benefit than an injury."

"Necessity makes even the timid brave."

"Rule by kindness rather than fear."

"No one ever became immortal through cowardice."

"The purpose of food is to relieve hunger and thirst, not to minister to caprice and luxury."

"Truly prosperity tries the souls even of the wise."

"A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means."

"Advise well before you begin; and when you have decided, act promptly."

"All those who offer an opinion on any doubtful point should first clear their minds of every sentiment of dislike, friendship, anger or pity. [All who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.]"

"Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude."

"Ambition drove many men to become false; to have one thought locked in the breast, another ready on the tongue."

"But assuredly Fortune rules in all things; she raised to eminence or buries in oblivion everything from caprice rather than from well-regulated principle."

"Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour."

"Before you act consider; when you have considered, tis fully time to act."

"As the blessings of health and fortune have a beginning, so they must also find an end. Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay."

"Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits."

"Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible."

"Eloquence enough, but little wisdom. [Enough words, little wisdom.]"

"Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure."

"Every man is the architect of his own future [fortune]."

"Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old."

"But few prize honor more than money."

"Covetous of the property of others and prodigal of his own."

"By the wicked the good conduct of others is always dreaded."

"By union the smallest states thrive, by discord the greatest are destroyed."

"Fame may be won in peace as well as in war."

"Fear closes the ears of the mind."

"Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master"

"Fortune rules in all things, and advances and depresses things more out of her own will than right and justice."

"Get good counsel before you begin: and when you have decided, act promptly."

"Greedy for the property of others, extravagant with his own"

"Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay."

"He only seems to me to live, and to make proper use of life, who sets himself some serious work to do, and seeks the credit of a task well and skillfully performed."

"He preferred to be good, rather than to seen so."

"He that will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing."

"In battle it is the cowards who run the most risk; bravery is a rampart of defense."

"In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery."

"In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live and enjoy his being who is engaged in some laudable pursuit, and acquires a name by some illustrious action, or useful art."

"In my own case, who have spent my whole life in the practice of virtue, right conduct from habitual has become natural."

"In three to five years all of us will be done, ... Then the babies take over."

"In victory even the cowardly like to boast, while in adverse times even the brave are discredited. [In victory the very cowards may brag, defeat discredits even the brave.]"

"It is a law of human nature that in victory even the coward may boast of his prowess, while defeat injures the reputation even of the brave."

"It is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one... Anyone, even a coward, can commence a war, but it can be brought to an end only with the consent of the victors."

"It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer."

"It is perilous to buy from a few what belongs to the many."

"It is the nature of ambition to make men liars and cheats who hide the truth in their hearts, and like jugglers, show another thing in their mouths; to cut all friendships and enmities to the measure of their interest, and put on a good face where there is no corresponding good will."

"Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself."

"Kings are more prone to mistrust the good than the bad; and they are always afraid of the virtues of others."