William Penn

Religion is nothing else but love of God and man.

The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.

Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom.

Friendship . . . is an Union of Spirits, a Marriage of Hearts, and the Bond thereof Vertue.

The country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God; but in cities little else but the works of men. And the one makes a better subject for contemplation than the other.

A private Life is to be preferred; the Honor and Gain of publick Posts, bearing no proportion with the Comfort of it

You can never really live anyone else’s life, not even your child’s. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you’ve become yourself.

The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Life must be filled up, and the man who is not capable of intellectual pleasures must content himself with such as his senses can afford.

Life is not an exact science, it is an art.

Love is indeed Heaven upon Earth; since Heaven above would not be Heaven without it: For where there is not Love; there is Fear: But perfect Love casts out Fear. And yet we naturally fear most to offend what we most Love. What we Love, we’ll Hear; what we Love, we’ll Trust; and what we Love, we’ll serve, ay, and suffer for too. If you love me (says our Blessed Redeemer) keep my Commandments. Why? Why then he’ll Love us; then we shall be his Friends; then he’ll send us the Comforter; then whatsoever we ask, we shall receive; and then where he is we shall be also, and that for ever. Behold the Fruits of Love; the Power, Vertue, Benefit and Beauty of Love! Love is above all; and when it prevails in us all, we shall all be Lovely, and in Love with God and one with another.

Defeat in itself was part and parcel of the great gambling game of politics. A man who could not accept it and try again was not of the stuff of which leaders are made.

Our high respect for a well read person is praise enough for literature.

Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

We are all alike, on the inside.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like as long as somebody loves you.

Do what good thou canst unknown, and be not vain of what ought rather to be felt than seen.

Do not do unto others as you expect they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

It is by the goodness of God that we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.

The painters could be identified by dirty fingernails; the writers by conversation in labored monosyllables and aggressive vulgarities which disguised their minds.

The eloquent man is he who is no eloquent speaker, but who is inwardly drunk with a certain belief.