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The woman that deliberates is lost.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: The Stratford Jubilee (II, 1, 1779), also in letter to Miss Georgiana Shipley
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I'll tell the names and sayings and the places of their birth,
Of the seven great ancient sages so renowned on Grecian earth,
The Lindian Cleobulus said, "The mean was still the best";
The Spartan Chilo said, "Know thyself," a heaven-born phrase
confessed.
Corinthian Periander taught "Our anger to command,"
"Too much of nothing," Pittacus, from Mitylene's strand;
Athenian Solon this advised, "Look to the end of life,"
And Bias from Priene showed, "Bad men are the most rife";
Milesian Thales uregd that "None should e'er a surety be";
Few were there words, but if you look, you'll much in little see.
Topic: Proverbs (General)
Source: from the Greek
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The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered in its
proverbs.
Topic: Proverbs (General)
Source: from the Greek
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The proverbial wisdom of the populace in the streets, on the
roads, and in the markets, instructs the ear of him who studies
man more fully than a thousand rules ostentatiously arranged.
Topic: Public
Source: Proverbs, or the Manual of Wisdom, on the title page, printed for Tabart & Co., London (1804)
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To kiss the rod.
Topic: Punishment
Source: History of Reynard the Fox, (William Caxton's translation, printed by him) (1481)
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Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
Topic: Rebellion
Source: inscription on cannon near ashes of John Bradshaw on top of hill near Martha Bay, Jamaica, it is als
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Let the "Tribune" put all this in its pipe and smoke it.
Topic: Reflection
Source: in the Richmond, Virginia "Enquirer", Feb. 7, 1860
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All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural,
essential, and unalienable rights.
Topic: Rights
Source: Constitution of Massachusetts
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When I have been indulging this thought I have, in imagination,
seen the Britons of some future century, walking by the banks of
the Thames, then overgrown with weeds and almost impassable with
rubbish. The father points to his son where stood St. Paul's,
the Monument, the Bank, the Mansion House, and other places of
the first distinction.
Topic: Ruin
Source: Humourous Thoughts on the Removal of the Seat of Empire and Commerce, in "London Magazine", 1745
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Thee is a skeleton on every house.
Topic: Secrecy
Source: Italian Tales of Humour, Gallantry and Romance, s saying in a story
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Huzzaed out of my seven senses.
Topic: Sense
Source: in the "Spectator", no. 616, Nov, 5, 1774
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God curse Moawiyah. If I had served God so well as I have served
him, he would never have damned me to all eternity.
Topic: Service
Source: found in Ockley's "History of the Saracens", An. Hegira 54, A.D. 673
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This Booke
When Brasse and Marble fade, shall make thee looke
Fresh to all Ages.
Topic: Shakespeare
Source: Commentary Verses prefixed to the folio of Shakespeare
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Few of the university pen plaies well, they smell too much of
that writer Ovid and that writer Metamorphosis and talk too much
of Prosperpina and Jupiter. Why, here's our fellow Shakespeare
puts them all down. Aye, and Ben Jonson too. O that B.J. is a
pestilent fellow, he brought up Horace giving poets a pill, but
our fellow, Shakespeare, hath given him a purge that made him
beray his credit.
Topic: Shakespeare
Source: The Return from Parnassus; or, the Scourge of Simony (act IV, sc. 3)
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The silente man still suffers wrong.
Topic: Silence
Source: The Rock of Regard, J.P. Collier's "Reprint", 1576
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Sancta Maria ad Nives.
Topic: Snow
Source: name of the basilica dedicated to Our Lady, now known as Santa Maria Maggiora
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As I saw fair Chloris walk alone,
The feather'd snow came softly down,
As Jove, descending from his tow'r
To court her in a silver show'r.
The wanton snow flew to her breast,
As little birds into their nest;
But o'ercome with whiteness there,
For grief dissolv'd into a tear.
Thence falling on her garment hem,
To deck her, froze into a gem.
Topic: Snow
Source: On Chloris walking in the Snow, in "Wit's Recreations", J.C. Hotten's reprint, p. 308 (1640)
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An Austrian army awfully arrayed.
Topic: Soldiers
Source: poet arranged with "apt alliteration's artful aid", first appeared in "The Trifler", May 7, 1817, pr
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The king of France with twenty thousand men
Went up the hill, and then came down again:
The king of Spain with twenty thousand more
Climbed the same hill the French had climbed before.
Topic: Soldiers
Source: from Sloane Manuscript 1489, written time of Charles I
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A thousand leagues of ocean, a company of kings,
You came across the watching world to show how heroes die.
When the splendour of your story
Builds the halo of its glory,
'Twill belt the earth like Saturn's rings
And diadem the sky.
Topic: Soldiers
Source: "M.R.C.S.", in "Anzac", on Colonial Soldiers, 1919
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Terrible he rode alone,
With his yemen sword for aid;
Ornament it carried none
But the notches on the blade.
Topic: Soldiers
Source: The Death Feud--An Arab War Song (st. 14), in "Tait's Edinburgh Magazine", July, 1850, translation s
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This ae nighte, this ae nighte
Every nighte and all;
Fire and sleete, and candle lighte
And Christe receive thye saule.
Topic: Soul
Source: Lyke-Wake Dirge (vol. III, p. 163), in Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Border" (T.F. Henderson's edition)
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Doubtless there are men of great parts that are guilty of
downright bashfulness, that by a strange hesitation and
reluctance to speak murder the finest and most elegant thoughts
and render the most lively conceptions flat and heavy.
Topic: Speech
Source: in "The Tatler", no. 252
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The cordial agreement which exists between the governments of
France and Great Britain.
[Fr., La cordiale entente qui existe entre le gouvernement
francais et celui de la Grande-Bretagne.]
Topic: Statesmanship
Source: Le Charivari, review of a speech by Guizot, Jan. 1, 1844
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If one has no better method of enticement to offer, the cordial
agreement seems to us to be the best compromise.
[Fr., Si l'on n'a pas de meilleurs moyen de seduction a lui
offrir, l'entente cordiale nous parait fort compromise.]
Topic: Statesmanship
Source: Le Charivari (vol. XV, no. 3, p. 4), referring to the ambassador of Morocco, then in Paris (1846)
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Amende to-day and slack not,
Deythe cometh and warneth not,
Tyme passeth and speketh not.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on sun dial belonging to Sir George Cornewall at Moccas Hall near Hereford
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As the long hours do pass away,
So doth the life of man decay.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: an inscription on a sundial in the garden of the Royal hotel at Sevenoaks, Kent, England
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Begone about your business.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on a sun dial once in The Temple, London
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Give God thy heart, thy service, and thy gold; The day wears on,
and time is waxing old.
- Unattributed Author,
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on a sun dial in the Cloister-garden of Gloucester Cathedral
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If o'er the dial glides a shade, redeem
The time for lo! it passes like a dream;
But if 'tis all a blank, then mark the loss
Of hours unblest by shadows from the cross.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on a sun dial in a churchyard at Shenstone, England
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In the day, do the day's work.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on a sun dial against the residence of Spenser Wells, Hamstead, England
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Live ye, he says, I flee.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: on Bishop Atterbury's sun dial
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Our life's a flying shadow, God's the pole,
The index pointing at Him is our soul;
Death the horizon, when our sun is set,
Which will through Christ a resurrection get.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: a sun dial inscription once on the south wall of Glasgow Cathedral
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The Natural Clock-work by the might One
Wound up at first, and ever since have gone.
Topic: Sun Dial Mottoes
Source: a part of a sun dial motto on the south porch of Seaham Church, Durham, England
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'Tis bad enough in man or woman
To steal a goose from off a common;
But surely he's without excuse
Who steals a common from the goose.
Topic: Thieving
Source: Epigram, in Carey's "Commonplace Book of Epigrams"
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Laurel crowned Horatius
True, how true the saying,
Swift as wind flies over us
Time devouring, slaying.
[Lat., Lauriger Horatius
Quam dixisti verum;
Fugit curo citius
Tempus edax rerum.]
Topic: Time
Source: translated by John Addington Symonds
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Six hours in sleep is enough for youth and age. Perhaps seven
for the lazy, but we allow eight to no one.
Topic: Time
Source: Collectio Salernitans (vol. II, l. 130, ed. De Renzi)
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Here's to France, the moon whose magic rays move the tides of the
world.
Topic: Toasts
Source: Frenchman's toast at a banquet in England
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Here's to Great Britain, the sun that gives light to all nations
of the world.
Topic: Toasts
Source: Englishman's toast at a banquet in England
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Our country, however bounded.
Topic: Toasts
Source: toast founded on the speech of Winthrop
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Some say "to-morrow" never comes,
A saying oft thought right;
But if to-morrow never came,
No end were of "to-night."
The fact is this, time flies so fast,
That e'er we've time to say
"To-morrow's come," presto! behold!
"To-morrow" proves "To-day."
Topic: Tomorrow
Source: from "Notes and Queries", fourth series, vol. XII
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Either this or upon this. (Either bring this back or be brought
back upon it.)
Topic: War
Source: said to be a Spartan mother's words to her son on giving him his shield
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We will fight them in the air, land and sea, and their aggression
will achieve nothing but failure.
Topic: War
Source: about U.S./British air strikes on Iraq, broadcast on Iraqi television
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Neither ridiculous shriekings for revenge by French chauvinists,
nor the Englishmen's gnashing of teeth, nor the wild gestures of
the Slavs will turn us from our aim of protecting and extending
German influence all the world over.
Topic: War
Source: Official secret report of the Germans, quoted in the "French Yellow Book"
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Oft he that doth abide
Is cause of his own paine,
But he that flieth in good tide
Perhaps may fight again.
Topic: War
Source: A Pleasant Satyre or Poesie, from the French (about 1595)
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He who flies at the right time can fight again.
[Lat., Celuy qui fuit bonne heure
Peut combattre derechef.]
Topic: War
Source: Satyre Menippee
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The defender of his country--the founder of liberty,
The friend of man,
History and tradition are explored in vain
For a parallel to his character.
In the annals of modern greatness
He stands alone;
And the noblest names of antiquity
Lose their lustre in his presence.
Born the benefactor of mankind,
He united all the greatness necessary
To an illustrious career.
Nature made him great,
He made himself virtuous.
Topic: Washington, George
Source: part of an epitaph found on the back of a portrait of Washington sent to his family from England, se
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Every countenance seeked to say, "Long live George Washington,
the Father of the People."
Topic: Washington, George
Source: Pennsylvania Packet, Apr. 21, 1789, after the election of Washington
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Our common Father and Deliverer, to whose prudence, wisdom and
valour we owe our Peace, Liberty and Safety, now leads and
directs in the great councils of the nation . . . and now we
celebrate an independent Government--an original Constitution!
an independent Legislature, at the head of which we this day
celebrate, The Father of his Country--We celebrate Washington!
We celebrate an independent Empire!
Topic: Washington, George
Source: Pennsylvania Packet, July 9, 1789, p. 284
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The weakest goeth to the wall.
Topic: Weakness
Source: title of a play printed in 1600 and 1618
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