Elizabeth I of England Quotes

70 Sourced Quotes

I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm.

Elizabeth I of England
I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married.
Statement to the envoy of Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg while discussing a proposal of marriage to the duke's son, Christoph

Elizabeth I of England
I know the title of a King is a glorious title, but assure yourself that the shining glory of princely authority hath not so dazzled the eyes of our understanding, but that we well know and remember that we also are to yield an account of our actions before the great judge. To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it.

Elizabeth I of England
By your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

Elizabeth I of England
There is no marvel in a woman learning to speak, but there would be in teaching her to hold her tongue

Elizabeth I of England
A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.

Elizabeth I of England
Of myself I must say this, I never was any greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait fast-holding prince, nor yet a master; my heart was never set on worldly goods, but only for my subjects' good.

Elizabeth I of England
Let the good service of well-deservers be never rewarded with loss. Let their thanks be such as may encourage more strivers for the like.

Elizabeth I of England
There is a close tie of affection between sovereigns and their subjects; and as chaste wives should have no eyes but for their husbands, so faithful liegemen should keep their regards at home and not look after foreign crowns. For my part I like not for my sheep to wear a stranger's mark nor to dance after a foreigner's whistle.

Elizabeth I of England
If there were two princes in Christendom who had good will and courage, it would be very easy to reconcile the religious difficulties; there is only one Jesus Christ and one faith, and all the rest is a dispute over trifles.

Elizabeth I of England
When I was fair and young, and favor graced me,
Of many was I sought, their mistress for to be;
But I did scorn them all, and answered them therefore,
"Go, go, go seek some otherwhere!
Importune me no more!

Elizabeth I of England
Mr. Doctor, that loose gown becomes you so well I wonder your notions should be so narrow.

Elizabeth I of England
There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.

Elizabeth I of England
I am no lover of pompous title, but only desire that my name may be recorded in a line or two, which shall briefly express my name, my virginity, the years of my reign, the reformation of religion under it, and my preservation of peace.

Elizabeth I of England
To Parliament, when it urged her to marry and settle the succession:
You attend to your own duties and I'll perform mine.

Elizabeth I of England
I am your anointed Queen. I will never be by violence constrained to do anything. I thank God that I am endued with such qualities that if I were turned out of the Realm in my petticoat, I were able to live in any place in Christome.

Elizabeth I of England
I have never been able to be so allured by the prospect of advantages or so terrified by misfortunes, swayed by honours or fettered by affection, nay not even so smitten by the fear of death, as to enter upon marriage.

Elizabeth I of England
I do not want a husband who honours me as a queen, if he does not love me as a woman.

Elizabeth I of England
The queen of Scots is this day leichter of a fair son, and I am but a barren stock.

Elizabeth I of England
Much suspected by me,
Nothing proved can be,
Quoth Elizabeth prisoner.

Elizabeth I of England
When asked whether she believed in Christ's presence in the Sacrament:
'Twas God the word that spake it,
He took the bread and brake it;
And what the word did make it;
That I believe, and take it.

Elizabeth I of England
Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.

Elizabeth I of England
Monarchs ought to put to death the authors and instigators of war, as their sworn enemies and as dangers to their states.

Elizabeth I of England
As for me, I see no such great cause why I should either be fond to live or fear to die. I have had good experience of this world, and I know what it is to be a subject and what to be a sovereign. Good neighbours I have had, and I have met with bad: and in trust I have found treason.

Elizabeth I of England
My seat has been the seat of kings, and I will have no rascal to succeed me.

Elizabeth I of England
My care is like my shadow in the sun,
Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it,
Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done.
His too familiar care doth make me rue it.
No means I find to rid him from my breast,
Till by the end of things it be supprest.
Some gentler passion slide into my mind,
For I am soft and made of melting snow;
Or be more cruel, love, and so be kind.
Let me or float or sink, be high or low.
Or let me live with some more sweet content,
Or die and so forget what love ere meant.

Elizabeth I of England
Must! Is must a word to be addressed to princes? Little man, little man!

Elizabeth I of England
I do entreat heaven daily for your longer life, else will my people and myself stand in need of cordials too. My comfort hath been in my people's happiness and their happiness in thy discretion.
To William Cecil on his death-bed

Elizabeth I of England
To be a king and wear a crown is more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasure to them that bear it...

Elizabeth I of England
I think that, at the worst, God has not yet ordained that England shall perish.

Elizabeth I of England