Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleighwas an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy, and explorer. He was cousin to Sir Richard Grenville and younger half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionExplorer
Date of Birth22 January 1552
evil imperfection shadow
Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so shadow and paint thy follies and vices as thou shalt never, by their will, discover good from evil, or vice from virtue.
men hands evil
Who so taketh in hand to frame any state or government ought to presuppose that all men are evil, and at occasions will show themselves so to be.
men evil occasions
All men are evil and will declare themselves to be so when occasion is offered.
wise men evil
All histories do show, and wise politicians do hold it necessary that, for the well-governing of every Commonweal, it behoveth man to presuppose that all men are evil, and will declare themselves so to be when occasion is offered.
pain evil silence
No one can take less pains than to hold his tongue. Hear much, and speak little; for the tongue is the instrument of the greatest good and greatest evil that is done in the world.
integrity men evil
He that doth not as other men do, but endeavoureth that which ought to be done, shall thereby rather incur peril than preservation; for who so laboreth to be sincerely perfect and good shall necessarily perish, living among men that are generally evil.
perseverance hands enemy
Whoso taketh in hand to govern a multitude, either by way of liberty or principality, and cannot assure himself of those persons that are enemies to that enterprise, doth frame a state of short perseverance.
history ends valour
Let valour end my life!
dead durable fire itself love mind
Love is a durable fire in the mind ever burning; never sick, never old, never dead from itself never turning.
esteemed fools garments gay man women
No man is esteemed for gay garments but by fools and women
daily itself large led
The world itself is but a large prison, out of which some are daily led to execution.
follow happily history modern near shall strike truth
Whosoever, in writing a modern history, shall follow truth too near the heels, it may happily strike out his teeth.
deed lavish sign speaking words
Speaking much is a sign of vanity, for he that is lavish with words is a niggard in deed
head heart lies matters
If the heart be right, it matters not which way the head lies