15th-century Author Quotes

Ludovico Ariosto

Babur

Baldassare Castiglione

Charles, Duke of Orléans

James I of Scotland

Thomas Malory

Gil Vicente

Man is only miserable so far as he thinks himself so.

Jacopo Sannazaro

Then he looked by him, and was ware of a damsel that came riding as fast as her horse might gallop upon a fair palfrey. And when she espied that Sir Lanceor was slain, then she made sorrow out of measure, and said, O Balin ! two bodies hast thou slain and one heart, and two hearts in one body, and two souls thou hast lost.

I saw the rose-grove blushing in pride,
I gather'd the blushing rose—and sigh'd—
I come from the rose-grove, mother,
I come from the grove of roses.

Each person should display her own particular gifts for study. For no one is safe who strives beyond her abilities; and thus it is safer to trust in reason than in men's opinions.

Yet will the loved one's gentle smile suffice
To ope the door of Paradise,
And turn to joy our dark and cruel lot.

Francesco Maria Molza

Someone might object, "But you do not express yourself like Cicero". What of it? I am not Cicero. But I think I express my own self.

I am dying of thirst by the side of the fountain.

Charles, Duke of Orléans

Practise in everything a certain nonchalance that shall conceal design and show that what is done and said is done without effort and almost without thought.

Baldassare Castiglione

For though the day be never so long,
At last the bells ringeth to evensong.

I die of thirst beside the fountain
I'm hot as fire, I'm shaking tooth on tooth
In my own country I'm in a distant land
Beside the blaze I'm shivering in flames

François Villon

What dreamest thou, drunkard, drowsy pate?
Thy lust and liking is from thee gone;
Thou blinkard blowboll, thou wakest too late.

Naught else but empty shadows are our dreams,
Reflected from the day's imaginings.

Giovanni Rucellai

But that he wrought so high the specious tale,
As manifested plainly 'twas a lie.

Ludovico Ariosto

That nicht he sleipit never ane wink,
Bot still did on the Ladie think.

And therewith kest I doun myn eye ageyne,
Quhare as I sawe, walking under the tour,
Full secretly new cummyn hir to pleyne,
The fairest or the freschest yonge floure
That ever I sawe, me thoght, before that houre,
For quhich sodayn abate anon astert
The blude of all my body to my hert.

James I of Scotland

It has the original mouth but remains wordless;
It is surrounded by a magnificent mound of hair.
Sentient beings can get completely lost in it
But it is also the birthplace of all the Buddhas of the ten thousand worlds.

On ilk beugh till embrace Writtin in a bill was O Dowglass, O Dowglass Tender and trewe!

Richard Holland

Louers be war and tak gude heid about Quhome that ye lufe, for quhome ye suffer paine. I lat yow wit, thair is richt few thairout Quhome ye may traist to haue trew lufe agane.

Robert Henryson

Those that be washen wyll not take scabbe after (if they haue sufficient meate) ; for that is the beste grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good meate.

Anthony Fitzherbert

Woman over money is like the sun upon ice, which is all the time: melting and consuming it.

Bernardo Dovizi

It is richt facil and eith gait, I the tell,
Forto discend and pas on down to hell:
The blak gettis of Pluto, and that dirk way,
Standis evir oppin and patent nycht and day;
Bot tharfra to return agane on hyght,
And heir abufe recovir this aris licht,
That is difficil wark, thar lawbour lyis.

When one door closes, fortune will usually open another.

Fernando de Rojas

The one sole thing in myself in which I glory is that I see in myself nothing in which I can glory.

Catherine of Genoa

My own soul is my most faithful friend. My own heart, my truest confidant.