Selfe Quotes & Sayings

To deceive ones selfe is very easie. — George Herbert

[W]hen they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of Separation between the Garden of the Church and the Wildernes of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall it selfe, removed the Candlestick, &c. and made his Garden a Wildernesse, as at this day. — Roger Williams

Ignorance of naturall causes disposeth a man to Credulity, so as to believe many times impossibilities: for such know nothing to the contrary, but that they may be true; being unable to detect the Impossibility. And Credulity, because men love to be hearkened unto in company, disposeth them to lying: so that Ignorance it selfe without Malice, is able to make a man bothe to believe lyes, and tell them; and sometimes also to invent them. — Thomas Hobbes

Praise they that will times past, I joy to see My selfe now live: this age best pleaseth mee. — Robert Herrick

This communicating of a Man's Selfe to his Frend works two contrarie effects; for it re-doubleth Joys, and cutteth Griefs in halves. — Francis Bacon

I could never divide my selfe from any man upon the difference of an opinion, or be angry with his judgement for not agreeing with mee in that, from which perhaps within a few days I should dissent my selfe ... — Thomas Browne

O what auailes it of immortall seed
To beene ybred and neuer borne to die?
Farre better I it deeme to die with speed,
Then waste in woe and wailefull miserie.
Who dyes the vtmost dolour doth abye,
But who that liues, is left to waile his losse:
So life is losse, and death felicitie.
Sad life worse then glad death: and greater crosse
To see friends graue, then dead the graue selfe to engrosse. — Edmund Spenser

So Orpheus did for his owne bride,
So I unto my selfe alone will sing,
The woods shall to me answer and my Eccho ring. — Edmund Spenser

Danger it selfe the best remedy for danger. — George Herbert

Aristotle him selfe sayeth, that medicines be no meate to lyue withall. — Roger Ascham

Helpe thy selfe, and God will helpe thee. — George Herbert

Pardon all but thy selfe.
[Pardon all but thyself.] — George Herbert

Without favour none will know you, and with it you will not know your selfe. — George Herbert

Oh, Psyche. "'Fortune doth menace unto thee imminent danger, wherof I wish thee greatly to beware. . . . thou shalt purchase to mee great sorrow, and to thyself utter destruction. . . . Beware that ye covet not . . . to see the shape of my person, lest by your curiosity you deprive your selfe of so great and worthy estate. — Sylvain Reynard

yet I have ever thought the knowledge of kindred and genealogies of the ancient families of a country a matter so far from contempt, that it deserveth highest praise. Herein consisteth a part of the knowledge of a man's own selfe. It is a great spurr to vertue to look back on the worth of our line. In this is the memory of the dead preserved with the living, being more firm and honourable than any epitaph. The living know that band which tyeth them to others. By this man is distinguished from the reasonless creatures, and the noble of men from the base sort. For it often falleth out (though we cannot tell how) for the most part, that generositie — Katherine Thomson

And yet on the other hand unless warinesse be us'd, as good almost kill a Man as kill a good Book; who kills a Man kills a reasonable creature, Gods Image, but hee who destroyes a good Booke, kills reason it selfe, kills the Image of God, as it were in the eye. — John Milton

The gentle Hawke halfe mans her selfe. — George Herbert

If thou thy selfe canst doe it, attend no others helpe or hand. — George Herbert

Gaveston:
I can no longer keepe me from my lord.
Edward:
What Gaveston, welcome: kis not my hand,
Embrace me Gaveston as I do thee:
Why shouldst thou kneele, knowest thou not who I am?
Thy friend, thy selfe, another Gaveston.
Not Hilas was more mourned of Hercules,
Then thou hast beene of me since thy exile. — Christopher Marlowe

A Covenant not to defend my selfe from force, by force, is always voyd. — Thomas Hobbes

Andrea told me after that film that there was too much Matt Haig in Matt Haig. She was kind of joking but kind of on to something. So for me, anything that lessens that extreme sense of selfe, that makes me feel me but at a lower volume, is very welcome. ( ... ) Travel has been one of those things. — Matt Haig

Cover your selfe with your shield, and care not for cryes. — George Herbert

Not so (quoth he) love most aboundeth there.
For all the walls and windows there are writ,
All full of love, and love, and love my deare,
And all their talke and studie is of it.
Ne any there doth brave or valiant seeme,
Unlesse that some gay Mistresse badge he bears:
Ne any one himselfe doth ought esteeme,
Unlesse he swin in love up to the ears.
But they of love and of his sacred lere,
(As it should be) all otherwise devise,
Then we poore shepheards are accustomd here,
And him do sue and serve all otherwise.
For with lewd speeches and licentious deeds,
His mightie mysteries they do prophane,
And use his ydle name to other needs,
But as a complement for courting vaine.
So him they do not serve as they professe,
But make him serve to them for sordid uses,
Ah my dread Lord, that doest liege hearts possesse,
Avenge they selfe on them for their abuses. — Edmund Spenser

The tree that growes slowly, keepes it selfe for another. — George Herbert

A propos of Distempers, I am going to tell you a thing that I am sure will make you wish your selfe here. The Small Pox so fatal and so general amongst us is here entirely harmless by the invention of engrafting (which is the term they give it). There is a set of old Women who make it their business to perform the Operation. — Mary Wortley Montagu

But come bad chance
And wee joyne to it our strength
And wee teach it art and length
It selfe o'er us to advance. — John Donne

Praie and shifte eche one for him selfe, as he can.Euery man for him selfe, and god for us all. — John Heywood

For we must not dwell on Death, as it is a mystery and it is something Unknown we leave to the Lord and his disposing for if we knew everything we would be too full of perfectly known things, and thus never rested nor content but driven with busyness and stuffed full. When I rode out in the early mornings in summertimes everything appeared to me, one after the other, in its own selfe without having to be known about beforehand, before you even get to it. In the order of the world is a deep pattern. You can't know if beforehand. If you did you would remain forever unsurprised and dwarfed and hardened. In the early mornings one after another we broke up the planes of water in the pools of Beaverdam with slow steps, horse and rider, and the trees appeared in their reflections like underwater spirits of themselves. Before these things a person is silent. — Paulette Jiles

Unhappie Verse, the witnesse of my unhappie state,
Make thy selfe fluttring wings of thy fast flying
Thought — Edmund Spenser

Neither praise nor dispraise thy selfe, thy actins serve the turne.
[Neither praise nor dispraise thyself; thy actions serve the turn.] — George Herbert

An Ambitious woman shewes her selfe to bee a troublesome disturber of the world, powerfull to make smale things great, and great monstrous — Thomas Overbury