Sidney Philip Quotes & Sayings

It is hard, but it is excellent, to find the right knowledge of when correction is necessary and when grace doth most avail. — Philip Sidney

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

Over-mastered by some thoughts, I yeelded an inckie tribute unto them. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

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

Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge. — Philip Sidney

I seek no better warrant than my own, conscience. — 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

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

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

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

There is nothing evil but what is within us; the rest is either natural or accidental. — Philip Sidney

The tip no jewel needs to wear:
The tip is jewel of the ear. — Philip Sidney

Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers' roll. — 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

Great is not great to the greater. — Philip Sidney

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

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

Nothing has a letter effect upon children than praise. — Philip Sidney

There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving, but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking. — Philip Sidney

I am not I; pity the tale of me. — Philip Sidney

Friendship is made fast by interwoven benefits. — Philip Sidney

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

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

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

In the truly great, virtue governs with the sceptre of knowledge. — 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

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

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

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

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

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

We don't often look into these unpleasant details of our great struggle. We all prefer to think that every man who wore the blue or gray was a Philip Sidney at heart. — Rebecca Harding Davis

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

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

The best legacy I can leave my children is free speech, and the example of using it. — 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

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

True bravery is quiet, undemonstrative. — 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

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

Anger, the Stoics said, was a short madness. — Philip Sidney

Courage without discipline is nearer beastliness than manhood. — 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

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

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

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

Philosophy deals in the abstract and the universal, but not in the particular. History deals only in the particular, not with general principles. Poetry deals with both, illustrating universal principles with particular examples or embodiments of those principles:
Now doth the peerless poet perform both: for whatsoever the philosopher saith should be done, he giveth a perfect picture of it in someone by whom he presupposeth it was done; so as he coupleth the general notion with the particular example.
Another advantage poetry has over philosophy is greater clarity:
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. But the poet is the food for the tenderest stomachs, the poet is indeed the right popular philosopher.
Essentially, poetry shows history more brilliantly than history, and explains philosophy more cogently than philosophy. — 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

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

Who shoots at the mid-day sun, though he be so sure he shall never hit the mark, yet as sure as he is, he shall shoot higher than he who aims at a bush. — Philip Sidney

The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity. — Philip Sidney

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

Come, Sleep; O Sleep! the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low;
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw. — 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

It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy. — 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

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

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

Much more may a judge overweigh himself in cruelty than in clemency. — Philip Sidney

Fear is more pain than is the pain it fears — Philip Sidney

I bear to the wisdom of Sir Philip Sidney, who said that next to hunting he liked hawking worst. However, though he may have fallen into as hyperbolical an extreme, yet who can put too great a scorn upon their folly, that, to bring home a rascal deer, or a few rotten conies, submit their lives to the will or passion of such as may take them under a penalty no less slight than there is discretion shown in exposing them. — Frances Osborne

Hope itself is a pain, while it is overmatched by fear. — 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

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

For the uttering sweetly and properly the conceit of the mind, English hath it equally with any other tongue in the world. — Philip Sidney

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

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

Honor, thou strong idol of man's mind. — 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

It is against womanhood to be forward in their own wishes. — Philip Sidney

The journey of high honor lies not in smooth ways. — Philip Sidney

Swaggering in the coffee-houses and ruffling it in the streets were the men who had sailed with Frobisher and Drake and Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Hawkins, and Sir Richard Granville; had perhaps witnessed the heroic death of Sir Philip Sidney, at Zutphen; had served with Raleigh in Anjou, Picardy, Languedoc, in the Netherlands, in the Irish civil war; had taken part in the dispersion of the Spanish Armada, and in the bombardment of Cadiz; had filled their cups to the union of Scotland with England; had suffered shipwreck on the Barbary Coast, or had, by the fortune of war, felt the grip of the Spanish Inquisition; who could tell tales of the marvels seen in new-found America and the Indies, and, perhaps, like Captain John Smith, could mingle stories of the naive simplicity of the natives beyond the Atlantic, with charming narratives of the wars in Hungary, the beauties of the seraglio of the Grand Turk, and the barbaric pomp of the Khan of Tartary. — William Shakespeare

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

There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity; the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable. — 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