Philip Sidney Quotes

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.

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

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.

It is a great happiness to be praised of them that are most praise-worthy.

My true love hath my heart, and I have his

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No decking sets forth anything so much as affection.

The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity.

There is little hope of equity where rebellion reigns.

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

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

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

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.

No is no negative in a woman's mouth.

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

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

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.

I seek no better warrant than my own, conscience.

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

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

They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.

All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.

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

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

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

The truly valiant dare everything but doing anybody an injury.

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

It is not good to wake a sleeping lion.

They love indeed who quake to say they love.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

Nothing has a letter effect upon children than praise.

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

Shallow brooks murmur most, deep and silent slide away.

The first mark of valor is defence.

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.