Philip Sidney Men Quotations

When it shall please God to bring thee to man's estate, use great providence and circumspection in choosing thy wife. For from thence will spring all thy future good or evil; and it is an action of life, like unto a stratagem of war; wherein a man can err but once!

As in labor, the more one doth exercise, the more one is enabled to do, strength growing upon work; so with the use of suffering, men's minds get the habit of suffering, and all fears and terrors are not to them but as a summons to battle, whereof they know beforehand they shall come off victorious.

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

Solitude, the sly enemy that doth separate a man from well-doing.

I am no herald to inquire into men's pedigree; it sufficeth me if I know their virtues.

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

Doing good is the only certainly happy action of a man's life.

What is birth to a man if it shall be a stain to his dead ancestors to have left such an offspring?

There is no man suddenly either excellently good or extremely evil, but grows either as he holds himself up in virtue or lets himself slide to viciousness.

Weigh not so much what men assert, as what they prove. Truth is simple and naked, and needs not invention to apparel her comeliness.

Honor, thou strong idol of man's mind.

Courage ought to be guided by skill, and skill armed by courage. Neither should hardiness darken wit, nor wit cool hardiness. Be valiant as men despising death, but confident as unwonted to be overcome.

To the disgrace of men it is seen that there are women both more wise to judge what evil is expected, and more constant to bear it when it happens.

The truly great man is as apt to forgive as his power is able to revenge.

Remember always, that man is a creature whose reason is often darkened with error.

Men are almost always cruel in their neighbors' faults; and make others' overthrow the badge of their own ill-masked virtue.

Woman was formed to admire; man to be admirable. His are the glories of the sun at noonday; hers the softened splendors of the midnight moon.

With a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.