Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidneywas an English poet, courtier, scholar, and soldier, who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. His works include Astrophel and Stella, The Defence of Poesy, and The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth30 November 1554
judging may clemency
Much more may a judge overweigh himself in cruelty than in clemency.
moon sky faces
With how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies! How silently, and with how wan a face!
learned
For conclusion, I say 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.
The poet nothing affirmeth and therefore never lieth.
behalf cannot curse die earth favour itself lacking lift love memory mind poetry send skill sky thus
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.
affirm ancient carried cause drawn gently human industry learned partly poet ready since strength
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.
giving soldier battle
As well the soldier dieth who standeth still as he that gives the bravest onset.
perfection wit knows
Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.
war teaching heaven
So, then, the best of the historian is subject to the poet; for whatsoever action or faction, whatsoever counsel, policy, or war-stratagem the historian is bound to recite, that may the poet, if he list, with his imitation make his own, beautifying it both for further teaching and more delighting, as it pleaseth him; having all, from Dante’s Heaven to his Hell, under the authority of his pen.
bravery quiet
True bravery is quiet, undemonstrative.
heart yellow done
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.
children men play
With a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.
wife desire firsts
Who doth desire that chaste his wife should be, first be he true, for truth doth truth deserve.
blow rumor substance
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!