Category: Lit & Crit

“The man that did once sell the lion’s skin while the beast liv’d was kill’d with hunting him.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.3

“All things are ready if our minds be so.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.3

“There is no king, be his cause never so spotless, if it come to the arbitrement of swords, can try it out with all unspotted soldiers: some peradventure have on them the guilt of premeditated and contrived murder; some of beguiling virgins with the broken seals of perjury; some making the wars their bulwark that have before gored the gentle bosom of peace with pillage and robbery. Now, if these men have defeated the law and outrun native punishment, though they can outstrip men they have no wings to fly from God.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.1

“There are few die well that die in a battle.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.1

“If the enemy is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb, is it meet, think you, that we should also, look you, be an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb?” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.1

“’Tis good for men to love their present pains upon example; so the spirit is eas’d.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.1

“There is some soul of good in things evil, would men observingly distil it out.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 4.1

“That’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 3.6

“When lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 3.5

“In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility: but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger; stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood. Disguise fair nature with hard-favour’d rage; then lend the eye a terrible aspèct; let it pry through the portage of the head like the brass cannon; let the brow o’erwhelm as fearfully as doth a galled rock o’erhang and jutty his confounded base, swill’d with the wild and wasteful ocean. Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide; hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit to his full height!” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 3.1

“Before the invention of the art of printing, a scholar and a beggar seem to have been terms very nearly synonymous.” – Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. One

“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice.” – Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. One

“In cases of defence ’tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems: so the proportions of defence are fill’d.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 2.4

“Trust none; for oaths are straws, men’s faiths are wafer-cakes, and holdfast is the only dog.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 2.3

“If little faults, proceeding on distemper, shall not be wink’d at, how shall we stretch our eye when capital crimes, chew’d, swallow’d, and digested, appear before us?” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 2.2

“Though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V 2.1

“A crooked figure may attest in little place a million.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V Chorus

“O, for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of ascension!” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V

“The over-weening conceit which the greater part of men have of their own abilities, is an ancient evil remarked by the philosophers and moralists of all ages. Their absurd presumption in their own good fortune, has been less taken notice of. It is, however, if possible, still more universal. There is no man living who, when in tolerable health and spirits, has not some share of it.” – Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. One

“No defeat is made up entirely of defeat—since the world it opens is always a place formerly unsuspected. A world lost, a world unsuspected beckons to new places and no whiteness (lost) is so white as the memory of whiteness.” – William Carlos Williams, Paterson

“Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” – T. S. Eliot (quoted by Judy Jones and William Wilson in An Incomplete Education)

“Honour makes a great part of the reward of all honourable professions.” – Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. One

“Foul words is but foul wind and foul wind is but foul breath.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 5.2

“In a false quarrel there is no true valour.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 5.1

“There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently, however they have writ the style of gods, and make a pish at chance and sufferance.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 5.1

“What we have we prize not to the worth whiles we enjoy it; but being lack’d and lost, why, then we rack the value; then we find the virtue that possession would not show us whiles it was ours.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 4.1

“When rich villains have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what price they will.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 3.3

“Every one can master a grief but he who has it.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 3.2

“How much an ill word may empoison liking.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 3.1

“The pleasant’st angling is to see the fish cut with her golden oars the silver stream, and greedily devour the treacherous bait.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 3.1