Commonly they must use their feet for defense whose only weapon is their tongue.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Defense, Conflict
Fear is the underminer of all determinations; and necessity, the victorious rebel of all laws.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Necessity
Nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion of authority; like too strong liquor for a frail glass.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Authority
Every base occupation makes one sharp in its practice, and dull in every other.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Occupation
Some are unwisely liberal, and more delight to give presents than to pay debts.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Generosity
Youths will never live to age unless they keep themselves in breath by exercise, and in heart by joyfulness. Too much thinking doth consume the spirits; and oft it falls out, that while one thinks too much of doing, he fails to do the effect of his thinking.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Health, Youth
The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Health
All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Experience
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
Topics: Friendship
Wickedness may well be compared to a bottomless pit, into which it is easier to keep one’s self from falling, than, being fallen, to give one’s self any stay from falling infinitely.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Wickedness
Fearfulness, contrary to all other vices, maketh a man think the better of another, the worse of himself.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: The Past, Past
A brave captain is as a root, out of which, as branches, the courage of his soldiers doth spring.
—Philip Sidney
No sword bites so fiercely as an evil tongue.
—Philip Sidney
Whether your time calls you to live or die do both like a prince.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Duty
In the truly great, virtue governs with a scepter of knowledge and wisdom.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Greatness
The many-headed multitude, whom inconstancy only by accident doth 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
In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Victory
He that finds truth, without loving her, is like a bat; which, though it have eyes to discern that there is a sun, yet hath so evil eyes, that it cannot delight in the sun.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Truth
With a tale, for sooth, he comet unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Storytelling
The truly valiant dare everything except doing any other body an injury.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Valor
It many times falls out that we deem ourselves much deceived in others, because we first deceived ourselves.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Deceit
No decking sets forth anything so much as affection.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Affection
Confidence in one’s self, though the chief nurse of magnanimity, doth not leave the care of necessary furniture for it; of all the Grecians, Homer doth make Achilles the best armed.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Confidence
There is no man suddenly either excellently good or extremely wicked; but grows so, either as he holds himself up in virtue, or lets himself slide to viciousness.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Wickedness
In all exigencies or miseries, lamentation becomes fools, and action wise folk.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Action
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
Topics: Truth
Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Doubt
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
Topics: Law
The mind itself must, like other things, sometimes be unbent; or else it will be either weakened or broken.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Mind
Courage ought to be guided by skill, and skill armed by courage.—Hardiness should not darken wit, nor wit cool hardiness.—Be valiant as men despising death, but confident as unwonted to be overcome.
—Philip Sidney
Topics: Courage
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Edward Lear English Humorist, Illustrator
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti British Poet, Artist
- Thomas Hardy English Novelist, Poet
- Ford Madox Ford English Novelist, Poet, Critic
- George Meredith British Novelist, Poet
- Eden Phillpotts British Writer
- Maurice Baring British Author
- Charles Reade British Author
- Walter Raleigh English Explorer, Courtier
- Francis Drake English Military Leader
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