Great Throughts Treasury

"Felds hath eyen, and wode have eres."

"Fie on possession, but if a man be vertuous withal."

"Filth and old age, I'm sure you will agree, are powerful wardens upon chastity."

"First he wrought, and afterward he taught."

"Fo lo, the gentil kind of the lioun! For when a flye offendeth him or byteth, He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth Al esily, for, of his genterye, Him deyneth net to wreke him on a flye, As cloth a curre or elles another beste."

"For gold in phisik is a cordial; therefore he lovede gold in special."

"For him was lever han at his beddes hed a twenty bokes, clothed in black or red, of Aristotle, and his philosophie, than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie. But all be that he was a philosophre, yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre."

"For I am shave as neigh as any frere. But yit I praye unto youre curteisye: beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die."

"For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust, no wonder is a common man should rust."

"For May wol have no slogardie a-night. The seson priketh every gentil herte, and maketh him out of his slepe to sterte."

"For of fortunes sharp adversitee The worst kinde of infortune is this, A man to have ben in prosperitee, And it remembren, when it passed is."

"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."

"For pitee renneth soone in gentil herte."

"For Saint Paul saith that all that written is, to our doctrine it is y-writ, ywis; taketh the fruit, and let the chaff be still."

"For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every fowl cometh there to choose his mate."

"For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde, ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde."

"For thre may kepe a counsel, if twain be awaie."

"For tyme y-lost may not recovered be."

"For which he wex a litel red for shame, whan he the peple upon him herde cryen, that to beholde it was a noble game, how sobreliche he caste doun his yen. Criseyda gan al his chere aspyen, and let so softe it in her herte sinke that to herself she seyde, “Who yaf me drinke?”"

"Forbede us thing, and that desiren we; preesse on us faste, and thanne wol we flee. With daunger oute we al oure chaffare: greet prees at market maketh dere ware, and too greet chepe is holden at litel pris."

"Frieth in his own grease."

"Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne, entuned in hir nose ful semely, and Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, after the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, for Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe."

"Ful wys is he that can himselven knowe!"

"Full wise is he that can himself know."

"Go, litel boke! go litel myn tregedie!"

"Go, little book; God send thee good passage, and specially let this be thy prayer, unto them all that thee will read or hear, where thou art wrong, after their help to call, thee to correct in any part, or all."

"Go, little booke! go, my little tragedie!"

"Habit maketh no monke, ne wearing of guilt spurs maketh no knight."

"He coude songes make, and wel endite. Ful wel she sange the service devine, entuned in hire nose ful swetely; and Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly, after the scole of Stratford atte bowe, for Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe."

"He helde about him alway, out of drede, a world of folke."

"He is gentil that doth gentil dedis."

"He is gentle that doeth gentle deeds."

"He loved chivalrye Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye."

"He that loveth God will do diligence to please God by his works, and abandon himself, with all his might, well for to do."

"He was a shepherd and no mercenary, and though he holy was and virtuous, he was to sinful men full piteous; his words were strong, but not with anger fraught; a love benignant he discreetly taught. To draw mankind to heavenly gentleness and good example was his business."

"He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght."

"He was as fresh as is the month of May."

"His studie was but litel on the Bible."

"Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve."

"How potent is the fancy! People are so impressionable, they can die of imagination."

"HYD, Absolon, they gilte tresses clere; Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al a-doun; Hyd, Jonathas, al thy frendly manere; Penalopee, and Marcia Catoun, Mak of your wyfhod no comparisoun; Hyde ye your beautes, Isoude and Eleyne, Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne. Thy faire bodye, let hit net appere, Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun, And Polixene, that boghte love so dere, Eek Cleopatre, with al thy passioun, Hyde ye your trouthe in love and your renoun; And thou, Tisbe, that hast for love swich peyne: Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne. Herro, Dido, Laudomia, alle in-fere, Eek Phyllis, hanging for thy Demophoun, And Canace, espyed by thy chere, Ysiphile, betrayed with Jasoun, Mak of your trouthe in love no boft ne soun; Nor Ypermistre or Adriane, ne pleyne; Alceste is here, that al that may desteyne."

"Hyt is not al golde that glareth."

"I am right sorry for your heavinesse."

"I holde a mouses herte nat worth a leek. That hath but one hole for to sterte to."

"I will eviscerate you in fiction. Every pimple, every character flaw. I was naked for a day; you will be naked for eternity."

"Idleness is the gate of all harms. - An idle man is like a house that hath no walls; the devils may enter on every side."

"If gold ruste, what shall iren do?"

"If gold rusts, what then will iron do? For if a priest be foul in whom we trust. No wonder that a common man should rust."

"If no love is, O God, what fele I so? And if love is, what thing and which is he? If love be good, from whennes cometh my woo? If it be wikke, a wonder thynketh me."

"In his owen grese I made him frie."