Philip Sidney Quotes
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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.
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Thy necessity is yet greater than mine
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Certainly, I must confess my own barbarousness, I never heard the old song of Percy and Douglas that I found not my heart moved more than with a trumpet.
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It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy.
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As in geometry, the oblique must be known, as well as the right; and in arithmetic, the odd as well as the even; so in actions of life, who seeth not the filthiness of evil, wanteth a great foil to perceive the beauty of virtue.
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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,The indifferent judge between the high and low.
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Stella, think not that I by verse seek fame,Who seek, who hope, who love, who live but thee;Thine eyes my pride, thy lips mine history:If thou praise not, all other praise is shame.
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The poet nothing affirmeth and therefore never lieth.
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Sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge.
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Who shoots at the mid-day sun, though he be sure he shall never hit the mark, yet as sure he is he shall shoot higher than who aims but at a bush.
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If you have so earth-creeping a mind that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry... thus much curse I must send you, in the behalf of all poets, that while you live, you live in love, and never get favour for lacking skill of a sonnet; and, when you die, your memory die from the earth for want of an epitaph.
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....But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay,Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.Thus great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite:'Fool,' said my Muse to me, 'look in thy heart and write.'
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Poesy must not be drawn by the ears: it must be gently led, or rather, it must lead, which was partly the cause that made the ancient learned affirm it was a divine, and no human skill, since all other knowledges lie ready for any that have strength of wit; a poet no industry can make, if his own genius be not carried into it.
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A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.
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There have been many most excellent poets that never versified, and now swarm many versifiers that need never answer to the name of poets.
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They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts.
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That sweet enemy, France.
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The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.
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With a tale forsooth he cometh unto you, with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.
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And thou my minde aspire to higher things;Grow rich in that which never taketh rust.