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Explore 7518 quotes originally in English

And he who servilely creeps after sense,
Is safe, but ne'er will reach an Excellence.

John Dryden

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Topic

Playing it safe Taking risks Success

Author

John Dryden

Source

Tyrannick Love, or The Royal Martyr

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1669 1660s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Dryden, John. Tyrannick Love, or The Royal Martyr. Performed by Nell Gwyn and Margaret Hughes and Michael Mohun and Charles Hart and Rebecca Marshall and William Cartwright. King's Company, 1669, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, England, UK, prologue.

Current Citation

Dryden, John. "Tyrannick Love." The Works of John Dryden, edited by Maximillian E. Nozak and George R. Guffey. Vol. 10, University of California, 1970, prologue.

The striking incidents of your history, replete with instruction and furnishing abundant grounds for hopeful confidence, are comprised in a period comparatively brief. But if your past is limited, your future is boundless. Its obligations throng the unexplored pathway of advancement, and will be limitless as duration.

Franklin Pierce

Inaugural Address of Franklin Pierce

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Topic

American optimism American pride

Speaker

Franklin Pierce

Source

Inaugural Address of Franklin Pierce Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Statement Type

Prophecies and predictions

Language

English

Time

1853 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Pierce, Franklin. "Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1853, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.

Francis Bacon

Read The Advancement of Learning at Project Gutenberg

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Topic

Doubt vs. certainty Certainty Doubt and skepticism Beliefs Convictions

Author

Francis Bacon

Source

The Advancement of Learning

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1605 1600s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Bacon, Francis. The Advancement of Learning. London: Oxford: Rob Youn and Ed Forrest, 1605, bk. 1, ch. 5, sect. 11.

Current Citation

Bacon, Francis. "The Advancement of Learning." Francis Bacon: The Major Works, edited by Brian Vickers. Oxford University Press, 2008, bk. 1, ch. 5, sect. 11.

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

Pete Seeger

We Shall Overcome

More information about this quote

Topic

Social progress Progress

Speaker

Pete Seeger

Source

We Shall Overcome

Medium

Song

Genre

Folk music

Language

English

Time

1962 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Simmons, Lucille. "We Will Overcome." People's Songs Bulletin, 1947. Originally sung by Lucille Simmons and tobacco workers during a cigar workers strike. 1945, Charleston, SC, USA.

This is the most significant movement of all! There is a dignity, a majesty, a sublimity, in this last effort of the patriots, that I greatly admire. The people should never rise without doing something to be remembered, something notable and striking. This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting, that I cannot but consider it as an epocha in history.

John Adams

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Topic

American Revolution

Author

John Adams

Medium

Personal journal

Language

English

Time

1773 1770s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Adams, John. Diary entry. 17 Dec. 1773.

Above all, be the heroine in your life, not the victim.

Nora Ephron

1996 Wellesley commencement address

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Topic

Agency

Author

Nora Ephron

Source

1996 Wellesley commencement address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Commencement address

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1996 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Ephron, Nora. Commencement speech. Commencement ceremony. 25 May 1996, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA.

No man who is correctly informed as to the past will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present.

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Topic

Past and present The past The present

Author

Thomas Macaulay

Source

The History of England

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1848 1840s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Macaulay, Thomas. The History of England: From the Accession of James II. Vol. 1, Philadelphia: Porter & Coates, 1848.

Current Citation

Macaulay, Thomas. The History of England from the Accession of James II, 5 Volume Set. The Folio Society, 2009.

Man is an embodied paradox, a bundle of contradictions.

Charles Caleb Colton

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Topic

Nature of man

Author

Charles Caleb Colton

Source

Lacon

Language

English

Time

1820 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Colton, Charles Caleb. Lacon: Or Many Things In Few Words Addressed To Those Who Think. Vol. 1, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1820.

The last, perhaps the greatest, of the prominent sources of discord and disaster supposed to lurk in our political condition was the institution of domestic slavery.

Martin Van Buren

Inaugural Address of Martin van Buren

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Topic

Slavery

Speaker

Martin Van Buren

Source

Inaugural Address of Martin van Buren Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1837 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Van Buren, Martin. "Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1837, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get.

George Bernard Shaw

Read Maxims for Revolutionists at Project Gutenberg

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Topic

Going for it Settling

Author

George Bernard Shaw

Source

Maxims for Revolutionists: Stray Sayings Man and Superman

Medium

Play

Genre

Drama (play)

Language

English

Time

1903 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Shaw, George Bernard. "Man and Superman: Maxims for Revolutionists." Man and Superman, John Bull's Other Island, and Major Barbara. Oxford University Press, 2021. Originally published by Archibald and Constable Co., Ltd., 1903.

I just got out of a five-and-a-half year relationship so I'm not looking for anything serious, just sexual activity.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

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Topic

On the rebound

Speaker

Peter Bretter

Actor

Jason Segel

Source

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy (film) Comedy

Language

English

Time

2008 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Directed by Nick Stoller, Apatow Productions, 2008.

He who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars;
General good is the plea of the scoundrel, hypocrite, and flatterer:
For art and science cannot exist but in the minutely organized particulars.

William Blake

Jerusalem

More information about this quote

Topic

Good works Serving others Theory vs. practice

Author

William Blake

Source

Jerusalem

Language

English

Time

1820 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Blake, William. Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion. London, c. 1820, ch. 3, plate 55, I. 60.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion." The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake. University of California Press, 2008, ch. 3, plate 55, I. 60.

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Benjamin Spock

The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care

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Topic

Trusting oneself

Author

Benjamin Spock

Source

The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care

Genre

Psychological literature

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1946 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Spock, Benjamin. The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1946, ch. 1.

Youth's the season made for joys,
Love is then our duty.

John Gay

The Beggar's Opera

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Topic

Purpose of youth Youth

Speaker

Macheath

Author

John Gay

Source

The Beggar's Opera

Medium

Play

Language

English

Time

1728 1720s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Gay, John. The Beggar's Opera. 1728, Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, London, England, UK, act 2, sc. 1, air 22.

Current Citation

Gay, John. "The Beggar's Opera." The Beggar's Opera and Polly, edited by Hal Gladfelder. Oxford University Press, 2013, act 2, sc. 1, air 22.

Of my two "handicaps," being female put many more obstacles in my path than being black.

Shirley Chisholm

Unbought and Unbossed

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Topic

Intersectionality Oppression of women

Author

Shirley Chisholm

Source

Unbought and Unbossed

Language

English

Time

1970 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Chisholm, Shirley. Unbought and Unbossed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1970, introduction.

There are two perfumes to a book. If a book is new it smells great. If a book is old, it smells even better. It smells like ancient Egypt.

Ray Bradbury

Quoted in Paris Review

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Topic

Books Smells Egypt

Speaker

Ray Bradbury

Source

Art of Fiction interview Paris Review

Medium

Interview Magazine

Language

English

Time

2010 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Bradbury, Ray. "Ray Bradbury, The Art of Fiction No. 203." Interviewed by Sam Weller. Paris Review, Spring 2010.

The great law of culture is: Let each become all that he was created capable of being.

Thomas Carlyle

More information about this quote

Topic

Reaching one's potential

Author

Thomas Carlyle

Language

English

Time

1827 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Carlyle, Thomas. "Jean Paul Friedrich Richter." The Edinburgh Review, June 1827.

Current Citation

Carlyle, Thomas. "Jean Paul Friedrich Richter." The Works of Thomas Carlyle, edited by Henry Duff Traill. Vol. 26, Cambridge University Press, 2010.

And sigh that one thing only has been lent
To youth and age in common—discontent.

Matthew Arnold

More information about this quote

Topic

Discontent Youth vs. old age The human condition

Author

Matthew Arnold

Source

Youth's Agitations

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1852 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Arnold, Matthew, [published as A]. "Sonnet." Empedocles on Etna, and Other Poems. London: B. Fellowes, 1852, l. 13.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead!

William Shakespeare

Henry V

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Topic

Battle

Speaker

King Henry V

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry V

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1599 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry V. The Lord Chamberlain's Men, c. 1599, The Curtain, Shoreditch, London, England, UK, act 3, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Henry the Fifth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 3, sc. 1.

Let there be light! said Liberty,
And like sunrise from the sea,
Athens arose!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

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Read Hellas at Project Gutenberg

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Topic

Athens

Author

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Source

Hellas

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1822 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Hellas: A Lyrical Drama. London: Charles and James Ollier, 1822, I. 682.

Current Citation

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "Hellas." Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Major Works, edited by Zachary Leader and Michael O'Neill. Oxford University Press, 2009, I. 682.