Philip Sidney Quotations

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

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

A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.

The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity.

The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.

Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers roll.

Poesy must not be drawn by the ears: it must be gently led, or rather, it must lead, which was partly the cause that made the ancient learned affirm it was a divine, and no human skill, since all other knowledges lie ready for any that have strength of wit; a poet no industry can make, if his own genius be not carried into it.

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

Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.

If you have so earth-creeping a mind that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry... thus much curse I must send you, in the behalf of all poets, that while you live, you live in love, and never get favour for lacking skill of a sonnet; and, when you die, your memory die from the earth for want of an epitaph.

The poet nothing affirmeth and therefore never lieth.

Plato found fault that the poets of his time filled the world with wrong opinions of the gods, making light tales of that unspotted essence, and therefore would not have the youth depraved with such opinions.

For conclusion, I say the philosopher teacheth, but he teacheth obscurely, so as the learned only can understand him; that is to say, he teacheth them that are already taught.

With how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies! How silently, and with how wan a face!

Much more may a judge overweigh himself in cruelty than in clemency.

My true love hath my heart, and I have his

A fair woman shall not only command without authority but persuade without speaking.

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

Like the air-invested heron, great persons should conduct themselves; and the higher they be, the less they should show.

No is no negative in a woman's mouth.

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

The observances of the church concerning feasts and fasts are tolerably well kept, since the rich keep the feasts and the poor the fasts.

It is against womanhood to be forward in their own wishes.

There is a certain delicacy which in yielding conquers; and with a pitiful look makes one find cause to crave help one's self.

Unlawful desires are punished after the effect of enjoying; but impossible desires are punished in the desire itself.

The day seems long, but night is odious; no sleep, but dreams; no dreams but visions strange.

Whether your time calls you to live or die, do both like a prince.

As the fertilest ground, must be manured, so must the highest flying wit have a Daedalus to guide him.

Gold can gild a rotten stick, and dirt sully an ingot.

A dull head thinks of no better way to show himself wise, than by suspecting everything in his way.

Contentions for trifles can get but a trifling victory.

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!

Misery and misfortune is all one; and of misfortune fortune hath only the gift.

To be ambitious of true honor and of the real glory and perfection of our nature is the very principle and incentive of virtue; but to be ambitious of titles, place, ceremonial respects, and civil pageantry, is as vain and little as the things are which we court

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.

The general goodness, which is nourished in noble hearts makes every one think that strength of virtue to be in another whereof they find assured foundation in themselves.

Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy.

There is nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion by authority, like too strong a liquor for a frail glass.

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.

There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving, but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking.

Take thou of me, sweet pillowes, sweetest bed; A chamber deafe of noise, and blind of light, A rosie garland and a weary hed.

The truly great and good, in affliction, bear a countenance more princely than they are wont; for it is the temper of the highest hearts, like the palm-tree, to strive most upwards when it is most burdened.

Who will ever give counsel, if the counsel be judged by the event, and if it be not found wise, shall therefore be thought wicked?

Give tribute, but not oblation, to human wisdom.

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

Great captains do never use long orations when it comes to the point of execution.

A noble cause doth ease much a grievous case.

Nothing has a letter effect upon children than praise.

Our poor eyes were so enriched as to behold, and our low hearts so exalted as to love, a maid who is such, that as the greatest thing the world can show is her beauty, so the least thing that may be praised in her is her beauty.

Self-love is better than any gilding to make that seem gorgeous wherein ourselves be parties.

I seek no better warrant than my own, conscience.

A churlish courtesy rarely comes but either for gain or falsehood.

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.

Whatever comes out of despair cannot bear the title of valor, which should be lifted up to such a height that holding all things under itself, it should be able to maintain its greatness, even in the midst of miseries.

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

A just cause and a zealous defender make an imperious resolution cut off the tediousness of cautious discussions.

Vice is but a nurse of agonies.

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 the truly great, virtue governs with the sceptre of knowledge.

The glory and increase of wisdom stands in exercising it.

What doth better become wisdom than to discern what is worthy the living.

My thoughts, imprisoned in my secret woes, with flamy breaths do issue oft in sound.

The judgment of the world stands upon matter of fortune.

As the love of the heavens makes us heavenly, the love of virtue virtuous, so doth the love of the world make one become worldly.

Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess? Do they call virtue there ungratefulness?

O sweet woods, the delight of solitariness!

...scoffing cometh not of wisdom...

Valor is abased by too much loftiness.

The truly valiant dare everything but doing anybody an injury.

If any sensual weakness arise, we are to yield all our sound forces to the overthrowing of so unnatural a rebellion; wherein how can we want courage, since we are to deal against so feeble an adversary, that in itself is nothing but weakness? Nay, we are to resolve that if reason direct it, we must do it, and if we must do it, we will do it; for to say "I cannot" is childish, and "I will not" is womanish.

Sin is the mother, and shame the daughter of lewdness.

We become willing servants to the good by the bonds their virtues lay upon us.

In shame there is no comfort but to be beyond all bounds of shame.

Yet sighes, deare sighes, indeeds true friends you are That do not leave your left friend at the wurst, But, as you with my breast, I oft have nurst So, gratefull now, you waite upon my care.

It is cruelty in war that buyeth conquest.

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

The violence of sorrow is not at the first to be striven withal; being, like a mighty beast, sooner tamed with following than overthrown by withstanding.

God has appointed us captains of this our bodily fort, which, without treason to that majesty, are never to be delivered over till they are demanded.

It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.

Thinking nurseth thinking.

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

Truth is the ground of science, the centre wherein all things repose, and is the type of eternity.

Ungratefulness is the very poison of manhood.

...the poet, he nothing affirmeth, and therefore never lieth.

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

Happiness is a sunbeam, which may pass though a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray.

There have been many most excellent poets that have never versified, and now swarm many versifiers that need never answer to the name of poets.

In the performance of a good action, we not only benefit ourselves, but we confer a blessing upon others.

A noble heart, like the sun, showeth its greatest countenance in its lowest estate.

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

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.

The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.

Alexander received more bravery of mind by the pattern of Achilles, than by hearing the definition of fortitude.

Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves.

A brave captain is as a root, out of which, as branches, the courage of his soldiers doth spring.

Who will adhere to him that abandons himself?

No decking sets forth anything so much as affection.

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

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

Cupid makes it his sport to pull the warrior's plum.