Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Thomas Fuller

English Divine, Historian and Author

"Popular Opinion is the greatest Lie in the World."

"Possibilities are infinite."

"Poverty is not a Shame, but being ashamed of it is."

"Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night."

"Prevention is much preferable to Cure."

"Prospect is often better than possession."

"Prosperity and Vanity are often lodg'd together. Prosperity destroys Fools, endangers the Wise, Prosperity has every Thing cheap. Prosperity knows not the worth of Patience. Prosperity takes no Counsel, and fears no Calamity. Prosperous Men seldom mend their Faults."

"Prosperity gets Followers, but Adversity distinguishes them."

"Riches enlarge, rather than satisfy appetites."

"Rigid justice is the greatest injustice."

"Security is the mother of danger and the grandmother of destruction."

"Seeing's believing, but feeling's the truth."

"Seek for the philosopher's stone... this jewel of contentment."

"Sickness tells us what we are."

"Silence is Wisdom, when Speaking is Folly."

"Silent Men, like still Waters, are deep and dangerous."

"Soft words are hard arguments."

"Success is never blamed."

"Suspicion may be no Fault, but showing it may be a great one."

"The best way to see divine light is to put out thy own candle."

"The day of our birth is one day's advance towards our death."

"The real difference between men is energy. A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination, can accomplish almost anything; and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men."

"The sting of reproach is the truth of it."

"There is much more learning than knowing in the world."

"There is no better armor against the shafts of death than to be busied in God's service."

"Thou mayest as well expect to grow stronger by always eating as wiser by always reading. To much overcharges nature, and turns more into disease than nourishment. It is thought, and digestion which makes books serviceable, and give health and vigor to the mind."

"Thou must content thyself to see the world imperfect as it is. Thou wilt never have any quiet if thou vexest thyself because thou canst not bring mankind to that exact notion of things and rule of life which thou hast formed in thy own mind."

"Though "the words of the wise be as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies," yet their examples are the hammer to drive them in to take the deeper hold. A father that whipped his son for swearing, and swore himself whilst he whipped him, did more harm by his example than the good by his correction."

"'Tis not every question that deserves an answer."

"To weep excessively for the Dead, is to affront the Living."

"Try to be happy in this very present moment; and put not off being so to a time to come; as though that time should be of another make from this, which is already come, and is ours."

"We are apt to believe what we wish for."

"We begin not to live till we are fit to die."

"We could be cowards, if we had courage enough."

"We have all forgot more than we remember."

"What a day may bring a day may take away."

"What's none of your Profit, need be none of your Peril."

"Wisdom rises upon the ruins of folly... He is no wise man that can not play the fool upon occasion."

"Wit should be used as a shield for defense rather than as a sword to wound others."

"Wit without Wisdom cuts other Men's Meat, and its own Fingers."

"Worldly and sensual pleasures lie, for the most part, are short, false, and deceitful. Like drunkenness, they revenge the jolly madness of one hour with the sad repentance of many."

"You cannot repent too soon, because you do not know how soon it may be too late."

"Zeal without knowledge is fire without light."

"Prosperity has damn’d more Souls than all the Devils together."

"`Tis harder to unlearn than learn."

"`Tis much safer for thee to reconcile an Enemy than conquer him."

"A thinking Man is always [discovering] something new."

"Accusing the Times is but excusing ourselves."

"An Inch in a Man’s Nose is much."

"Be a Friend to thyself, and others will be so too."