Philip Sidney Quotations | Page 2

High erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy.

There is nothing so great that I fear to do it for my friend; nothing so small that I will disdain to do it for him.

Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.

**Did you realize how much a kiss says, Philip???** Oh My Angel I doooo....A KISS is the beginning of, middle to, and end of most things I love about life....

Ring out your bells! Let mourning show be spread! For Love is dead.

But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay; Invention, Nature's child, fled stepdame Study's blows; And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way. Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite: "Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write.

To be rhymed to death as is said to be done in Ireland.

Malice, in its false witness, promotes its tale with so cunning a confusion, so mingles truths with falsehoods, surmises with certainties, causes of no moment with matters capital, that the accused can absolutely neither grant nor deny, plead innocen.

Laws are not made like lime-twigs or nets, to catch everything that toucheth them; but rather like sea-marks, to guide from shipwreck the ignorant passenger.

You will never live to my age without you keep yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with joyfulness.

It depends on education--that holder of the keys which the Almighty hath put into our hands--to open the gates which lead to virtue or to vice, to happiness or misery.

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.

All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.

In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey.

What is mine, even to my life, is hers I love; but the secret of my friend is not mine!

There is little hope of equity where rebellion reigns.

It many times falls out that we deem ourselves much deceived in others because we first deceived ourselves.

Who shoots at the mid-day sun, though he be so sure he shall never hit the mark, yet as sure as he is, he shall shoot higher than he who aims at a bush.

Often extraordinary excellence, not being rightly conceived, does rather offend than please.

The scourge of life, and death's extreme disgrace, The smoke of hell,--that monster called Paine.

Poetry, a speaking picture... to teach and delight

Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers poets have done; neither with pleasant rivers, fruitful trees, sweet-smelling flowers, nor whatsoever else may make the too-much-loved earth more lovely; her world is brazen, the poets only deliver a golden.

Fear is the underminer of all determinations; and necessity, the victorious rebel of all laws.

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

It is not good to wake a sleeping lion.

Love, one time, layeth burdens; another time, giveth wings.

The tip no jewel needs to wear: The tip is jewel of the ear.

The journey of high honor lies not in smooth ways.

Honor, thou strong idol of man's mind.

High honor is not only gotten and born by pain and danger, but must be nursed by the like, else it vanisheth as soon as it appears to the world.

They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.

...music, I say, the most divine striker of the senses...

And thou my minde aspire to higher things; Grow rich in that which never taketh rust.

Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge.

My true-love hath my heart, and I have his, By just exchange, one for the other given; I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss, There never was a better bargain driven.

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.

It is a lively spark of nobleness to descend in most favour to one when he is lowest in affliction

The lightsome countenance of a friend giveth such an inward decking to the house where it lodgeth, as proudest palaces have cause to envy the gilding.

Shallow brooks murmur most, deep and silent slide away.

For the uttering sweetly and properly the conceit of the mind, English hath it equally with any other tongue in the world.

Great is not great to the greater.

They love indeed who quake to say they love.

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.

Some are unwisely liberal, and more delight to give presents than to pay debts.

Reason! how many eyes hast thou to see evils, and how dim, nay, blind, thou art in preventing them.

Reason cannot show itself more reasonable than to cease reasoning on things above reason.

It is manifest that all government of action is to be gotten by knowledge, and knowledge best, by gathering many knowledges, which is reading.

Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker.

He travels safe and not unpleasantly who is guarded by poverty and guided by love.

Fortify courage with the true rampart of patience.

O you virtuous owle, The wise Minerva's only fowle.

The many-headed multitude, whom inconstancy only doth by accident guide to well-doing! Who can set confidence there, where company takes away shame, and each may lay the fault upon his fellow?

A popular license is indeed the many-headed tyrant.

Laughter almost ever cometh of things most disproportioned to ourselves and nature: delight hath a joy in it either permanent or present; laughter hath only a scornful tickling.

Inquisitiveness is an uncomely guest.

Provision is the foundation of hospitality, and thrift the fuel of magnificence.

Hope itself is a pain, while it is overmatched by fear.

Sweet speaking oft a currish heart reclaims.

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

Fear is far more painful to cowardice than death to true courage.

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

Courage without discipline is nearer beastliness than manhood.

Since bodily strength is but a servant to the mind, it were very barbarous and preposterous that force should be made judge over reason.

Liking is not always the child of beauty; but whatsoever is liked, to the liker is beautiful.

Ambition, like love, can abide no lingering; and ever urgeth on his own successes, hating nothing but what may stop them.

There is nothing evil but what is within us; the rest is either natural or accidental.

Lovely sweetness is the noblest power of woman, and is far fitter to prevail by parley than by battle.

Ambition thinks no face so beautiful as that which looks from under a crown.

Remember that in all miseries lamenting becomes fools, and action, wise folk.

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

The heavens do not send good haps in handfuls; but let us pick out our good by little, and with care, from out much bad, that still our little world may know its king.

Friendship is made fast by interwoven benefits.

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.

For as much as to understand and to be mighty are great qualities, the higher that they be, they are so much the less to be esteemed if goodness also abound not in the possessor.

The highest point outward things can bring unto, is the contentment of the mind; with which no estate can be poor, without which all estates will be miserable.

The first mark of valor is defence.

Anger, the Stoics said, was a short madness.

There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity; the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable.

The best legacy I can leave my children is free speech, and the example of using it.

He whom passion rules, is bent to meet his death.

How violently do rumors blow the sails of popular judgments! How few there be that can discern between truth and truth-likeness, between shows and substance!

Who doth desire that chaste his wife should be, first be he true, for truth doth truth deserve.

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

In forming a judgment, lay your hearts void of foretaken opinions; else, whatsoever is done or said, will be measured by a wrong rule; like them who have jaundice, to whom everything appears yellow.

True bravery is quiet, undemonstrative.

So, then, the best of the historian is subject to the poet; for whatsoever action or faction, whatsoever counsel, policy, or war-stratagem the historian is bound to recite, that may the poet, if he list, with his imitation make his own, beautifying it both for further teaching and more delighting, as it pleaseth him; having all, from Dante’s Heaven to his Hell, under the authority of his pen.

As well the soldier dieth who standeth still as he that gives the bravest onset.