Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Italian Proverbs

Softly, barber, the water scalds.

Balance | Rights | System | Wise |

Italian Proverbs

The chamber-bell is the worst sound one have in his ears.

Journey | Method | Space |

Italian Proverbs

Necessity and opportunity may make a coward valiant.

Universe |

Italian Proverbs

Needs must when the devil drives.

Harmony | Object | Time |

Italian Proverbs

Nothing venture, nothing have.

Comfort | God | Light | Looks | God |

Italian Proverbs

The best way to conquer or control a group of people is by encouraging them to fight among themselves rather than allowing them to unite in opposition to the ruling authority.

Life | Life |

Italian Proverbs

No one likes justice brought home to his own door.

System |

Italian Proverbs

The world wags on with three things: doing, undoing, and pretending.

Ability | Adventure | Character | Comfort | Convictions | Daring | Ideas | Injustice | Injustice | Love | Man | Men | Qualities | Sound | Suffering | Talking | Time | Universe | Will | Witness | Blessed | Old | Winning |

Italian Proverbs

When wise men play mad pranks they do it with a vengeance.

Respect | System | Respect |

Italian Proverbs

Who has no children does not know what love is.

Hope | Order | Space |

Italian Proverbs

The well-fed man does not believe in hunger.

Means | Public | System |

Italian Proverbs

There never was a shoe however handsome that did not become an ugly slipper.

Justice | System |

Italian Proverbs

The tongue goes to where the tooth aches.

Model | Office | Space | Thinking | Old |

Italian Proverbs

Where there is nothing to gain, there is a lot to lose.

Example | Knowledge | Light | Think |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

I'm in the business of providing people with secondary satisfactions. It wouldn't have done me much good if they had all written their own plays, would it?

Ability | Change | Experience | Important | Myth | Qualities | Reading | Space | Time |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

All now took leave of the Lord of the City and went to rest while they still could. Outside there was a starless blackness as Gandalf, with Pippin beside him bearing a small torch, made his way to their lodging. They did not speak until they were behind closed doors. Then at last Pippin took Gandalf's hand. 'Tell me,' he said, 'is there any hope? For Frodo, I mean; or at least mostly for Frodo.' Gandalf put his hand on Pippin's head. 'There never was much hope,' he answered. 'Just a fool's hope, as I have been told. And when I heard of Cirith Ungol--' He broke off and strode to the window, as if his eyes could pierce the night in the East. 'Cirith Ungol!' he muttered. 'Why that way, I wonder?' He turned. 'Just now, Pippin, my heart almost failed me, hearing that name. And yet in truth I believe that the news that Faramir brings has some hope in it. For it seems clear that the Enemy has opened his war at last and made the first move when Frodo was still free. So now for many days he will have his eye turned this way and that, away from his own land. And yet, Pippin, I feel from afar his haste and fear. He has begun sooner than he would. Something has happened to stir him.

Change | People | System | Wants |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.

Battle | Space | Old |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

The Canadian is often a baffled man because he feels different from his British kindred and his American neighbors, sharply refused to be lumped together with either of them, yet cannot make plain his difference.

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Public opinion polls are rather like children in a garden, digging things up all the time to see how they're growing.

Action | Enough | Force | Law | Little | Time |

Italian Proverbs

You are more likely to win if you take the initiative and make an attack rather than preparing to defend yourself.

Faith | God | Light | People | Property | Religion | Will | God |