William Penn

Passion is the mob of the man, that commits a riot upon his reason.

If thou wouldn’t conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than the arguments of its opposers.

No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

To delay justice, is injustice.

A wise man makes what he learns his own, the other shows he is but a copy or a collection at most.

As men’s prayers are a disease of the will, so are their creeds a disease of the intellect.

When it comes to the point, really bad men are just as rare as really good ones.

Glances of true beauty can be seen in the faces of those who live in true meekness.

If matters go badly now, they will not always be so.

Sir, a man who cannot get to heaven in a green coat, will not find his way thither the sooner in a gray one.

What is so great as friendship, let us carry with what grandeur of spirit we can. Let us be silent, — so we may hear the whisper of the gods. Let us not interfere. Who set you to cast about what you should say to the select souls, or how to say any thing to such? No matter how ingenious, no matter how graceful and bland. There are innumerable degrees of folly and wisdom, and for you to say aught is to be frivolous. Wait, and thy heart shall speak. Wait until the necessary and everlasting overpowers you, until day and night avail themselves of your lips. The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.

A jest often decides matters of importance more effectual and happily than seriousness.

The masses have no habit of self reliance or original action.

I don’t think it’s meant for man to know everything at once.

Private men, in fine, are so much their own, that, paying common dues, they are sovereigns of all the rest. Yet the public must and will be served; and they that do it well, deserve public marks of honour and respect. To do so, men must have public minds, as well as salaries; or they will serve private ends at the public cost. Government can never be well administered, but where those intrusted make conscience of well discharging their places.

To be free minded and cheerfully disposed at hours of meat and sleep and of exercise is one of the best precepts of long lasting.

Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.

Power doesn’t corrupt people; people corrupt power.

He who is taught to live upon little owes more to his father’s wisdom than he who has a great deal left to him owes to his father’s care.

In the vain laughter of folly wisdom hears half its applause.