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
long captains execution
Great captains do never use long orations when it comes to the point of execution.
practice dull occupation
Every base occupation makes one sharp in its practice, and dull in every other.
appreciation giving tribute
Give tribute, but not oblation, to human wisdom.
wise giving advice
Who will ever give counsel, if the counsel be judged by the event, and if it be not found wise, shall therefore be thought wicked?
adversity heart tree
The truly great and good, in affliction, bear a countenance more princely than they are wont; for it is the temper of the highest hearts, like the palm-tree, to strive most upwards when it is most burdened.
sweet sleep light
Take thou of me, sweet pillowes, sweetest bed; A chamber deafe of noise, and blind of light, A rosie garland and a weary hed.
thinking giving charity
There is no dearth of charity in the world in giving, but there is comparatively little exercised in thinking and speaking.
growing-up exercise men
As in labor, the more one doth exercise, the more one is enabled to do, strength growing upon work; so with the use of suffering, men's minds get the habit of suffering, and all fears and terrors are not to them but as a summons to battle, whereof they know beforehand they shall come off victorious.
strong glasses opinion
There is nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion by authority, like too strong a liquor for a frail glass.
natural courtesy made
Approved valor is made precious by natural courtesy.
heart thinking noble
The general goodness, which is nourished in noble hearts makes every one think that strength of virtue to be in another whereof they find assured foundation in themselves.
peace sleep insomnia
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.
inspirational real ambition
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
misery fortune misfortunes
Misery and misfortune is all one; and of misfortune fortune hath only the gift.