Philip Sidney Quotes & Sayings

Music, I say, the most divine striker of the senses ... — Philip Sidney

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

It is not good to wake a sleeping lion. — Philip Sidney

Inquisitiveness is an uncomely guest. — Philip Sidney

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

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. — Philip Sidney

A noble cause doth ease much a grievous case. — Philip Sidney

Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge. — Philip Sidney

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

The poet, he nothing affirmeth, and therefore never lieth. — Philip Sidney

With a sword thou mayest kill thy father, and with a sword thou mayest defend thy prince and country. — Philip Sidney

Shallow brooks murmur most, deep and silent slide away. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

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

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

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

Either I will find a way, or I will make one. — Philip Sidney

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

The truly valiant dare everything but doing anybody an injury. — Philip Sidney

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

**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 ... — Philip Sidney

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. — Philip Sidney

Great is not great to the greater. — Philip Sidney

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

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

No is no negative in a woman's mouth. — Philip Sidney

Think I none so simple would say that Aesop lied in the tales of his beasts: for who thinks that Aesop writ it for actually true were well worthy to have his name chronicled among the beasts he writeth of. — Philip Sidney

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

Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy. — Philip Sidney

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. — Philip Sidney

But hereto is replied that the poets give names to men they write of, which argueth a conceit of an actual truth, and so, not being true, proveth a falsehood. And doth the lawyer lie then, when, under the names of John of the Stile, and John of the Nokes, he putteth his case? But that is easily answered: their naming of men is but to make their picture the more lively, and not to build any history. Painting men, they cannot leave men nameless. We see we cannot play at chess but that we must give names to our chess-men; and yet, me thinks, he were a very partial champion of truth that would say we lied for giving a piece of wood the reverend title of a bishop. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

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

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

Sin is the mother, and shame the daughter of lewdness. — Philip Sidney

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

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. — Philip Sidney

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

It is cruelty in war that buyeth conquest. — Philip Sidney

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

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

Doing good is the only certainly happy action of a man's life. — Philip Sidney

O sweet woods, the delight of solitariness! — Philip Sidney

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

Fortify courage with the true rampart of patience. — Philip Sidney

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. — Philip Sidney

...scoffing cometh not of wisdom... — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

Contentions for trifles can get but a trifling victory. — Philip Sidney

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

High erected thoughts seated in the heart of courtesy. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

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

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

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 — Philip Sidney

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

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

Blasphemous words betray the vain foolishness of the speaker. — Philip Sidney

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

Poetry, a speaking picture ... to teach and delight — Philip Sidney

Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves. — Philip Sidney

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

There is little hope of equity where rebellion reigns. — Philip Sidney

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

Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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. — Philip Sidney

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. — Philip Sidney

Vice is but a nurse of agonies. — Philip Sidney

A popular license is indeed the many-headed tyrant. — Philip Sidney

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

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

In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey. — Philip Sidney

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

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. — Philip Sidney

Valor is abased by too much loftiness. — Philip Sidney

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. — Philip Sidney

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

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

Courage without discipline is nearer beastliness than manhood. — Philip Sidney

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

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

Friendship is made fast by interwoven benefits. — Philip Sidney

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. — Philip Sidney

They love indeed who quake to say they love. — Philip Sidney