George Herbert Quotes

300 Sourced Quotes

He that is not handsome at twenty, nor strong at thirty, nor rich at forty, nor wise at fifty, will never be handsome, strong, rich, or wise.

George Herbert
I envy no man's nightingale or spring;
Nor let them punish me with loss of rhyme,
Who plainly say, My God, My King.

George Herbert
Half the world knows not how the other half lives.

George Herbert
To seek these things is lost labour; Geese in an oyle pot, fat Hogs among Jews, and Wine in a fishing net.

George Herbert
Where the drink goes in, there the wit goes out.

George Herbert
By the needle you shall draw the thread, and by that which is past, see how that which is to come will be drawne on.

George Herbert
When God will punish, hee will first take away the understanding.

George Herbert
He that will do thee a good turne, either he will be gon or dye.

George Herbert
The wise hand doth not all that the foolish mouth speakes.
[The wise hand doth not all that the foolish mouth speaks.]

George Herbert
Who says that fictions only and false hair
Become a verse? Is there in truth no beauty?
Is all good structure in a winding stair?

George Herbert
In every Art it is good to have a master.
[In every art it is good to have a master.]

George Herbert
Old men, when they scorne young, make much of death.
[Old men, when they scorn young, make much of death.]

George Herbert
The Italians are wise before the deede, the Germanes in the deede, the French after the deede.
[The Italians are wise before the deed, the Germens in the deed, the French after the deed.]

George Herbert
Sink not in spirit; who aimeth at the sky
Shoots higher much than he that means a tree.

George Herbert
Like summer friends,
Flies of estate and sunneshine.

George Herbert
Hearken unto a Verser, who may chance
Rhyme thee to good, and make a bait of pleasure.
A verse may find him, who a sermon flies,
And turn delight into a sacrifice.

George Herbert
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert
Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me, With faith, with hope, with charity, That I may run, rise, rest with Thee.

George Herbert
The War is not don so long as my Enemy lives.
[The war is not done so long as my enemy lives.]

George Herbert
He that hath a head of waxe must not walke in the sunne.
[He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun.]

George Herbert
Ill ware is never cheap. Pleasing ware is half sold.

George Herbert
Love without end, hath no end, says the Spaniard: (meaning, if it were not begun on particular ends, it would last).

George Herbert
One eye of the masters sees more, then ten of the servants.
[One eye of the master sees more than ten of the servants']

George Herbert
Who letts his wife goe to every feast, and his horse drinke at every water, shall neither have good wife nor good horse.

George Herbert
Love your neighbor, yet pull not down your hedge.

George Herbert