Top 100 Philip Sidney Quotes
#1. 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.
Philip Sidney
#2. Reason! how many eyes hast thou to see evils, and how dim, nay, blind, thou art in preventing them.
Philip Sidney
#3. The truly great man is as apt to forgive as his power is able to revenge.
Philip Sidney
#4. 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.
Philip Sidney
#6. 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.
Philip Sidney
#7. Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy.
Philip Sidney
#8. A fair woman shall not only command without authority but persuade without speaking.
Philip Sidney
#10. It is a lively spark of nobleness to descend in most favour to one when he is lowest in affliction
Philip Sidney
#11. There is little hope of equity where rebellion reigns.
Philip Sidney
#12. 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.
Philip Sidney
#13. In the clear mind of virtue treason can find no hiding-place.
Philip Sidney
#14. Since bodily strength is but a servant to the mind, it were very barbarous and preposterous that force should be made judge over reason.
Philip Sidney
#15. Commonly they must use their feet for defense whose only weapon is their tongue.
Philip Sidney
#16. Lovely sweetness is the noblest power of woman, and is far fitter to prevail by parley than by battle.
Philip Sidney
#17. Every present occasion will catch the senses of the vain man; and with that bridle and saddle you may ride him.
Philip Sidney
#18. 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.
Philip Sidney
#20. Truth is the ground of science, the centre wherein all things repose, and is the type of eternity.
Philip Sidney
#21. What is mine, even to my life, is hers I love; but the secret of my friend is not mine!
Philip Sidney
#22. Courage without discipline is nearer beastliness than manhood.
Philip Sidney
#23. In the performance of a good action, we not only benefit ourselves, but we confer a blessing upon others.
Philip Sidney
#24. With how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies!
How silently, and with how wan a face!
Philip Sidney
#25. Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker.
Philip Sidney
#26. You will never live to my age without you keep yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with joyfulness.
Philip Sidney
#27. Ambition, like love, can abide no lingering; and ever urgeth on his own successes, hating nothing but what may stop them.
Philip Sidney
#28. It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.
Philip Sidney
#29. And thou my minde aspire to higher things;
Grow rich in that which never taketh rust.
Philip Sidney
#30. Cupid makes it his sport to pull the warrior's plum.
Philip Sidney
#31. What doth better become wisdom than to discern what is worthy the living.
Philip Sidney
#33. There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity; the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable.
Philip Sidney
#34. With a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.
Philip Sidney
#35. 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.
Philip Sidney
#36. Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.
Philip Sidney
#37. Reason cannot show itself more reasonable than to cease reasoning on things above reason.
Philip Sidney
#38. A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.
Philip Sidney
#39. 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.
Philip Sidney
#41. 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.
Philip Sidney
#42. For the uttering sweetly and properly the conceit of the mind, English hath it equally with any other tongue in the world.
Philip Sidney
#43. Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?
Do they call virtue there ungratefulness?
Philip Sidney
#44. In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey.
Philip Sidney
#45. 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.
Philip Sidney
#46. Whether your time calls you to live or die, do both like a prince.
Philip Sidney
#47. Remember always, that man is a creature whose reason is often darkened with error.
Philip Sidney
#49. Contentions for trifles can get but a trifling victory.
Philip Sidney
#50. Fear is far more painful to cowardice than death to true courage.
Philip Sidney
#51. To be rhymed to death as is said to be done in Ireland.
Philip Sidney
#52. Some are unwisely liberal, and more delight to give presents than to pay debts.
Philip Sidney
#53. For grammar it [poetry] might have, but it needs it not; being so easy in itself, and so void of those cumbersome differences of cases, genders, moods, and tenses, which, I think, was a piece of the Tower of Babylon's curse, that a man shoult be put to school to learn his mother-tongue.
Philip Sidney
#54. Who doth desire that chaste his wife should be, first be he true, for truth doth truth deserve.
Philip Sidney
#55. 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.
Philip Sidney
#56. The observances of the church concerning feasts and fasts are tolerably well kept, since the rich keep the feasts and the poor the fasts.
Philip Sidney
#57. Gold can gild a rotten stick, and dirt sully an ingot.
Philip Sidney
#58. It is against womanhood to be forward in their own wishes.
Philip Sidney
#59. There is a certain delicacy which in yielding conquers; and with a pitiful look makes one find cause to crave help one's self.
Philip Sidney
#61. A dull head thinks of no better way to show himself wise, than by suspecting everything in his way.
Philip Sidney
#62. 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.
Philip Sidney
#63. I am no herald to inquire into men's pedigree; it sufficeth me if I know their virtues.
Philip Sidney
#64. High erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy.
Philip Sidney
#65. Hope itself is a pain, while it is overmatched by fear.
Philip Sidney
#66. Liking is not always the child of beauty; but whatsoever is liked, to the liker is beautiful.
Philip Sidney
#67. If you neglect your work, you will dislike it; if you do it well, you will enjoy it
Philip Sidney
#68. Take thou of me, sweet pillowes, sweetest bed; A chamber deafe of noise, and blind of light, A rosie garland and a weary hed.
Philip Sidney
#69. It is manifest that all government of action is to be gotten by knowledge, and knowledge best, by gathering many knowledges, which is reading.
Philip Sidney
#70. 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.
Philip Sidney
#72. 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.
Philip Sidney
#74. 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.
Philip Sidney
#75. Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers' roll.
Philip Sidney
#76. Shallow brooks murmur most, deep and silent slide away.
Philip Sidney
#77. It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy.
Philip Sidney
#78. There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving, but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking.
Philip Sidney
#79. 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!
Philip Sidney
#80. There is nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion by authority, like too strong a liquor for a frail glass.
Philip Sidney
#81. Provision is the foundation of hospitality, and thrift the fuel of magnificence.
Philip Sidney
#82. With a sword thou mayest kill thy father, and with a sword thou mayest defend thy prince and country.
Philip Sidney
#83. To know, and by knowledge to lift up the mind from the dungeon of the body to the enjoying his own divine essence
Philip Sidney
#85. 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?
Philip Sidney
#86. What is birth to a man if it shall be a stain to his dead ancestors to have left such an offspring?
Philip Sidney
#88. Nothing has a letter effect upon children than praise.
Philip Sidney
#89. Weigh not so much what men assert, as what they prove. Truth is simple and naked, and needs not invention to apparel her comeliness.
Philip Sidney
#90. 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 bargain better driven.
Philip Sidney
#91. They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.
Philip Sidney
#92. The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.
Philip Sidney
#94. The judgment of the world stands upon matter of fortune.
Philip Sidney
#95. I now have learn'd Love right, and learn'd even so,
As who by being poisoned doth poison know.
Philip Sidney
#96. Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves.
Philip Sidney
#99. Ambition thinks no face so beautiful as that which looks from under a crown.
Philip Sidney
#100. Fear is the underminer of all determinations; and necessity, the victorious rebel of all laws.
Philip Sidney
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