Great Throughts Treasury

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

Related Quotes

William Matthews

As frost, raised to its utmost intensity, produces the sensation of fire, so any good quality, overwrought and pushed to excess, turns into its own contrary.

Joy | Life | Life |

William Law

As the health and strength or weakness of our bodies is very much owing to their methods of treating us when we were young, so the soundness or folly of our minds is not less owing to those first tempers and ways of thinking which we eagerly received from the love, tenderness, authority, and constant conversation of our mothers.

Beauty | Heaven | Joy | Melody | Nothing | Serenity | Beauty |

William Law

There is no wrath that stands between God and us, but what is awakened in the dark fire of our own fallen nature; and to quench this wrath, and not His own, God gave His only begotten Son to be made man. God has no more wrath in Himself now than He had before the creation, when He had only Himself to love... And it was solely to quench this wrath, awakened in the human soul, that the blood of the Son of God was necessary; because nothing but a life and birth, derived from Him into the human soul, could change this darkened root of a self-tormenting fire into an amiable image of the Holy Trinity as it was at first created.

Happy | Joy | Kindness | Love | Merit | Rule |

William Morris

Beauty, which is what is meant by art, using the word in its widest sense, is, I contend, no mere accident to human life, which people can take or leave as they choose, but a positive necessity of life.

Joy |

William Morris

Forgetfulness of grief I yet may gain; in some wise may come ending to my pain; it may be yet the Gods will have me glad! Yet, Love, I would that thee and pain I had!

Grief | Joy | Memory | Pity |

William Morris

O thrush, your song is passing sweet but never a song that you have sung,is half so sweet as thrushes sang when my dear Love and I were young.

Battle | Joy | Sorrow |

William Morris

Love is enough: draw near and behold me ye who pass by the way to your rest and your laughter, and are full of the hope of the dawn coming after; for the strong of the world have bought me and sold me and my house is all wasted from threshold to rafter. — pass by me, and hearken, and think of me not!

Blame | Darkness | Hope | Joy | Life | Life | Rest | Terror |

Sei Shōnagon

One has carefully scented a robe and then forgotten about it for several days. When finally one comes to wear it, the aroma is even more delicious than on freshly scented clothes.

Comfort | Feelings | Joy | Wants |

Prince Shōtoku, born Shotoku Taishi, aka Prince Umayado or Prince Kamitsumiya

All people entrusted with office should attend equally to their duties. Their work may sometimes be interrupted due to illness or their being sent on missions. But whenever they are able to attend to business they should do so as if they knew what it was about and not obstruct public affairs on the grounds they are not personally familiar with them.

Joy | Mystery | Spirit |

Edwin Way Teale

Noise is evolving not only the endurers of noise but the needers of noise.

God | Joy | Thought | God | Thought |

Egyptian Proverbs

Women cannot trust men.

Friend | Joy |

Egyptian Proverbs

For knowledge... you should know that peace is an indispensable condition of getting it.

Joy | Price |

Egyptian Proverbs

Give me a fish, I have the day's food. Teach me how to fish and I will have everyday's food.

Joy |

Elif Safak

The way we see what God is only a reflection of the way we see Anfsnna. If not God brings to our minds to fear and blame, it means that a great deal of fear and blame is flowing in our souls, but if we saw God full of love and compassion , we will be well

Joy | Pain | Universe | Will | Words | Gossip |

William Shakespeare

So, when this loose behavior I throw off and pay the debt I never promised, by how much better than my word I am, by so much shall I falsify men's hopes; and, like bright metal on a sullen ground, my reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault, shall show more goodly and attract more eyes than that which hath no foil to set it off.

Joy | Patience | Play |

William Shakespeare

Some grief shows much of love, but much of grief shows still some want of wit.

Better | Birth | Glory | Joy | Love | Pride |

William Shakespeare

Swift as a shadow, short as any dream, brief as the lightning in the collied night, that, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, and ere a man hath power to say, — Behold! The jaws of darkness do devour it up: so quick bright things come to confusion.

Joy | Pleasure | War |

Elizabeth Gilbert

So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, then drop it.

God | Joy | Mortal | Soul | Strength | God |

Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Children use the fist until they are of the age to use the brain.

Joy |