Great Throughts Treasury

"Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker. Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss: My true love hath my heart and I have his."

"Carrying thus in one person the only two bands of good-will, loveliness and lovingness."

"Contentions for trifles can get but a trifling victory."

"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, The indifferent judge between the high and low."

"But ah, Desire still cries, give me some food."

"Confidence in one’s self is the chief nurse of magnanimity; which confidence, notwithstanding, doth not leave the care of necessary furniture for it; and therefore, of all the Grecians, Homer doth ever make Achilles the best armed."

"Commonly they must use their feet for defense whose only weapon is their tongue."

"Each excellent thing, once learned, serves for a measure of all other knowledge."

"Courage ought to be guided by skill, and skill armed by courage. - Hardiness should not darken wit, nor wit cool hardiness. - Be valiant as men despising death, but confident as unwonted to be overcome."

"Every base occupation makes one sharp in its practice, and dull in every other."

"Every occasion will catch the senses of the vain man and with that bridle and saddle you may ride him"

"Eagles we see fly alone; and they are but sheep which always herd together"

"Either I will find a way, or I will make one"

"Fear is far more painful to cowardice than death to true courage."

"Fearfulness, contrary to all other vices, maketh a man think the better of another, the worse of himself."

"Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write."

"He cometh unto with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner."

"Give tribute, but not oblation, to human wisdom."

"Have I caught my heav'nly jewel."

"He that finds truth, without loving her, is like a bat; which, though it have eyes to discern that there is a sun, yet hath so evil eyes, that it cannot delight in the sun."

"He travels safe and not unpleasantly, who is guarded by poverty and guided by love."

"High erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy."

"He was strong of body, and so much the stronger as he, by a well-disciplined exercise, taught it both to do and suffer."

"I am no herald to inquire after men's pedigrees: it sufficeth me if I know of their virtues."

"Homer never entertained either guests or hosts with long speeches till the mouth of hunger be stopped."

"How violently do rumors blow the sails of popular judgments! - How can one discern between the truth and truth-likeness, between shows and substance."

"Highway, since you my chief Parnassus be, And that my Muse, to some ears not unsweet, Tempers her words to trampling horses' feet More oft than to a chamber-melody,"

"I on my horse, and Love on me, doth try Our horsemanships, while by strange work I prove A horseman to my horse, a horse to Love,"

"I never heard the old song of Percy and Douglas that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet."

"I willingly confess that it likes me better when I find virtue in a fair lodging than when I am bound to seek it in an ill-favored creature."

"In actions of life, who seeth not the filthiness of evil wanteth a great foil to perceive the beauty of virtue."

"I seek no better warrant than my own conscience, nor no greater pleasure than mine own contentation."

"If you neglect your work, you will dislike it; if you do it well, you will enjoy it"

"In forming a judgment, lay your hearts void of fore-taken opinions; else, whatsoever is done or said will be measured by a wrong rule; like them who have the jaundice, to whom everything appearelh yellow."

"In all exigencies or miseries, lamentation becomes fools, and action wise folk."

"In the clear mind of virtue treason can find no hiding place."

"In vain thou kindlest all thy smoky fire, For virtue hath this better lesson taught, Within myself to seek my only hire, Desiring nought but how to kill desire."

"In victory the hero seeks the glory, not the prey."

"It is a great happiness to be praised of them that are most praiseworthy."

"It is great happiness to be praised by them who are most praiseworthy."

"It is hard, but it is excellent, to find the right knowledge of when correction is necessary, and when grace doth most avail."

"It is a lively spark of nobleness to descend in most favor to one when he is lowest in affliction."

"It is doing some service to humanity to amuse innocently; and they know very little of society, who think we can bear to be always employed, either in duties or meditations, without any relaxation."

"It is safest to be moderately base - to be flexible in shame and to be always ready for what is generous, good, and just, when anything is to be gained by virtue"

"It is not good to wake a sleeping lion."

"It many times falls out that we deem ourselves much deceived in others, because we first deceived ourselves."

"It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened."

"Leave me, O Love, which reachest but to dust, And thou, my mind, aspire to higher things; Grow rich in that which never taketh rust; Whatever fades, but fading pleasure brings."

"Let here his eyes be raised"

"Let my whispering voice obtain Sweet reward for sharpest pain;"