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

Those who begin many things finish but a few.

Defense | Respect | Science | Technology | Respect |

Italian Proverbs

To censure princes is perilous, and to praise them is lying.

Italian Proverbs

Where there's a will there's a way.

Mind | Thought | Thought |

Italian Proverbs

What the eye sees not the heart rues not.

Feelings | Mind | Mindfulness | Practice |

Italian Proverbs

Words are female, deeds are male.

Creed | Disbelief | God | Truth | Will | God |

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

And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air.

Children | Global | Government | Labor | People | Rights | War | Government |

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

Dead men are not friends to living men, and give them no gifts.

Better | Cause | Peril | Time | Will |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Like its politicians and its wars, society has the teenagers it deserves.

Appreciation | Art | Faith | Heart | Life | Life | Meaning | Means | Mind | People | Religion | Appreciation | Art |

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

All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But... I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.

Age | Books | Children | Dirty | Life | Life | Receive | Work |

Italian Proverbs

Who serves well and says nothing makes claim enough.

Meaning | Sound |

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

And then alas! I let the matter reset, watching and waiting only, as we have too often done.

Debt |

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

Death never comes at the right time, despite what mortals believe. Death always comes like a thief.

Nations | Object | Race | Spirit | Time |

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

Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.

Body | Mind |

Italian Proverbs

With patience you go beyond knowledge.

God | Harm | Ignorance | Power | Time | Truth | Will | Witness | God |

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

And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City.

Giving | Little | Nations | Size |

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

Aragorn looked at the pale stars, and at the moon, now sloping behind the western hills that enclosed the valley. 'This is a night as long as years', he said. 'How long will the day tarry?' 'Dawn is not far off', said Gamling, who had now climbed up beside him. 'But dawn will not help us, I fear' 'Yet dawn is ever the hope of men', said Aragorn.

Culture | Custom | Slavery | Wants | Work |

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

Criticism - however valid or intellectually engaging - tends to get in the way of a writer who has anything personal to say. A tightrope walker may require practice, but if he starts a theory of equilibrium he will lose grace (and probably fall off).

Focus | Knowledge | Mind | Reason | Research | Unique | Work | Following |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

We must beware the revenge of the starved senses, the embittered animal in its prison.

Father | Knowledge | Love | Time |

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

And in that very moment, away behind in some far corner of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed reckoning nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.

Change | Freedom | Government | Life | Life | Government |

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

Back now to the mountain! cried Thorin. We have little time to lose. And little food to use! cried Bilbo, always practical on such points. In any case he felt that the adventure was, properly speaking, over with the death of the dragon.

Example | Gold | Industry | Slavery | Work |