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

Gustave Flaubert

None of us can ever express the exact measure of our needs, or our ideas, or our sorrows, and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when we long to inspire pity in the stars.

Play |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

The fact that I have no remedy for all the sorrows of the world is no reason for my accepting yours. It simply supports the strong probability that yours is a fake.

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

The true function of art is to criticize, embellish and edit nature? the artist is a sort of impassioned proof-reader, blue penciling the bad spelling of God.

Italian Proverbs

Revenge a hundred years old has still its milk-teeth.

Politics | Vision | Will |

Italian Proverbs

Skill or fortune will efface the spots.

Evidence | Feelings | Little | People | Understand |

Italian Proverbs

Muddy water won't do for a mirror.

Terror | War |

Italian Proverbs

Much water passes by the mill that the miller perceives not.

Need | War |

Italian Proverbs

One enemy is too much for a man, and a hundred friends too few.

Politics |

Italian Proverbs

People who make the most or the loudest threats are the least likely to take action.

Feelings | Good |

Italian Proverbs

The devil is bad because he is old.

Ability | Age | Art | Control | Culture | Humor | Memory | Need | Time | Work | World | Art |

Italian Proverbs

When the sun shines on thee, thou needest not care for the moon.

Feelings | Mistake |

Italian Proverbs

Who hath no courage must have legs.

Events | War |

Italian Proverbs

There's no place like home.

Government | Past | War | Government | Propaganda |

Italian Proverbs

To move heaven and earth.

War | Will | Value |

Italian Proverbs

The salt of patience seasons everything.

Italian Proverbs

Where there is no temptation there is no glory.

Need | People | World |

Italian Proverbs

What the eye sees not the heart rues not.

Feelings | Mind | Mindfulness | Practice |

Italian Proverbs

When the sun is highest it casts the least shadow.

Good | Gratitude | Important | Nothing | People | Practice | Religion |

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

And Gandalf said: 'This is your realm, and the heart of the greater realm that shall be. The Third Age of the world is ended, and the new age is begun; and it is your task to order it's beginning and to preserve what must be preserved. For though much has been saved, much must now pass away; and the power of the Three Rings also is ended. And all the lands that you see, and those that lie round about them, shall be dwellings of Men. For the time comes of the Dominion of Men, and the Elder Kindred shall fade or depart.

Freedom | Guarantee | Individual | Labor | Reality | Slavery | Work |

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 |