Wisdom Quotes — page 11

History is the record of a vast experimental investigation—of a search by man after the best conditions of existence.

Seeking unceasingly for the First Cause of All, in question for what special purpose he was made, Man, in the unsearchable darkness, knoweth one thing: that as he is, so was he made; and if the Essence and characteristic faculty of …

An enemy's praise heralds all treachery, And grows the sweeter as revenge looks surer!

It was well that I quitted it at last and walked again into that clear light which I had foolishly forsaken.

Charm'd with the foolish whistling of a name.

Your thought advocates fame and show. Mine counsels me and implores me to cast aside notoriety and treat it like a grain of sand cast upon the shore of eternity.

And she was fair as is the rose in May.

Preachers say, Do as I say, not as I do.

This firstling of the infant year.

The merchant sends the buyer far afield with instructions to invest

Whoso desireth to govern well and securely, it behoveth him to have a vigilant eye to the proceedings of great princes, and to consider seriously of their designs.

'Whoso beset him round With dismal stories, Do but themselves confound; His strength the more is. No lion can him fright, He’ll with a giant fight,

I will go a little further than that, and say I will see you there where I go.

Now I see there is a people risen that I cannot win with gifts or honours, offices or places; but all other sects and people I can.

Though all truths are glorious, yet there is a double glory upon seasonable truths.

That blot on the peace of the world, the Treaty of Versailles, is vanishing, and for that I am thankful... France has again had a severe lesson, and I hope it will take it this time. In any event the folly of pandering to it by standing …

Standing armies are the oppressive instruments for governing the people, in the hands of hereditary and arbitrary monarchs.

As to matters of dress, I would recommend one never to be first in the fashion nor the last out of it.

All teaching is dogmatic. Dogma, indeed, means only "a thing taught," and teaching not dogmatic would cease to be teaching and would become discussion and doubt.

I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average proportion of the numbers of each is not to my advantage.

I have met other women who were tender, As you were cold, dear! with a grace as rare. Think you, I turned to them, or made surrender, I who had found you fair?

The wheel of Fortune tourneth as a ball; Sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.

For out of every hole the rats came tumbling.

But as a Moor, who to her Cheeks prefers White spots, t'allure her black Idolaters, Me thought she look'd all ore bepatch'd with Stars;Like the dark front of some Ethiopian Queen, Vailèd all ore with Gems of Red, Blew, Green; Whose ugly …