Everything Quotes

What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer.

Many a man's strength is in opposition, and when he faileth, he grows out of use.

It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.

Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy, but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon.

Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.

Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more a man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.

People usually think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and ingrained opinions, but generally act according to custom.

It is natural to die as to be born.

The joys of parents are secret, and so are their grieves and fears.

Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other.

God's first creature, which was light.

Young people are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and more fit for new projects than for settled business.

There is nothing makes a man suspect much, more than to know little.

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.

The correlative to loving our neighbors as ourselves is hating ourselves as we hate our neighbors.

Acorns were good until bread was found.

People have discovered that they can fool the devil; but they can't fool the neighbors.

Anger is certainly a kind of baseness, as it appears well in the weakness of those subjects in whom it reigns: children, women, old folks, sick folks.

God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave.

Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom.

Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.

Fortune is like the market, where, many times, if you can stay a little, the price will fall.

Therefore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune; for though she be blind, yet she is not invisible.

Science is but an image of the truth.

There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic: a man's own observation what he finds good of and what he finds hurt of is the best physic to preserve health.

Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.

The quarrels and divisions about religion were evils unknown to the heathen. The reason was because the religion of the heathen consisted rather in rites and ceremonies than in any constant belief.

They that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils.

Studies perfect nature and are perfected still by experience.

Judges must beware of hard constructions and strained inferences, for there is no worse torture than that of laws.

A man must make his opportunity, as oft as find it.

Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid.

Pictures and shapes are but secondary objects and please or displease only in the memory.

The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.

Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.

Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable.

It is as hard and severe a thing to be a true politician as to be truly moral.

The way of fortune is like the milkyway in the sky; which is a number of small stars, not seen asunder, but giving light together: so it is a number of little and scarce discerned virtues, or rather faculties and customs, that make men fortunate.

Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.

The place of justice is a hallowed place.

Truth is a good dog; but always beware of barking too close to the heels of an error, lest you get your brains kicked out.

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.

Knowledge and human power are synonymous.

Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words, or in good order.

Wise men make more opportunities than they find.

We are much beholden to Machiavel and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do.

There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man's self.

No body can be healthful without exercise, neither natural body nor politic, and certainly, to a kingdom or estate, a just and honourable war is the true exercise.

Good fame is like fire; when you have kindled you may easily preserve it; but if you extinguish it, you will not easily kindle it again.