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
kindness gains courtesy
A churlish courtesy rarely comes but either for gain or falsehood.
warrants my-own conscience
I seek no better warrant than my own, conscience.
party love-is self
Self-love is better than any gilding to make that seem gorgeous wherein ourselves be parties.
eye heart her-beauty
Our poor eyes were so enriched as to behold, and our low hearts so exalted as to love, a maid who is such, that as the greatest thing the world can show is her beauty, so the least thing that may be praised in her is her beauty.
causes noble ease
A noble cause doth ease much a grievous case.
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.
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.
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.