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

Turkish Proverbs

An over-protected eye gets the speck. (Being overly careful or overprotective invites misfortunes.)

Woodrow Wilson, fully Thomas Woodrow Wilson

Because I love the South, I rejoice in the failure of the Confederacy.

Chance | Control | Duty | Enough | Evil | Haste | Hurry | Justice | Life | Life | Man | Policy | Sound | Thought | Vision | Thought |

Thornton Wilder, fully Thornton Niven Wilder

The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living.

Enemy | Truth |

Thornton Wilder, fully Thornton Niven Wilder

It is very necessary to have markers of beauty left in a world seemingly bent on making the most evil ugliness.

Appearance | Time |

Tom Hayden, fully Thomas Emmet "Tom" Hayden

The peace and justice movement has to expand and not run away from the plight of gang members.

Reform |

Hugh Blair

In young minds there is commonly a strong propensity to particular intimacies and friendships. Youth, indeed, is the season when friendships are sometimes formed which not only continue through succeeding life, but which glow to the last, with a tenderness unknown to the connections begun in cooler years. The propensity, therefore, is not to be discouraged, though, at the same time, it must be regulated with much circumspection and care. Too many of the pretended friendships of youth are mere combinations in pleasure. They are often founded on capricious likings, suddenly contracted and as suddenly dissolved. Sometimes they are the effect of interested complaisance and flattery on the one side, and of credulous fondness on the other. Such rash and dangerous connections should be avoided, lest they afterwards load us with dishonor.

Motives |

William Shakespeare

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, nothing goes right! we would, and we would not.

Peril |

William Shakespeare

All is not offence that indiscretion finds, and dotage terms so.

Art | Better | Death | Fortune | Grave | Heart | Right | Soul | Teach | Art | Friends |

William Shakespeare

A good man's fortune may grow out at heels. King Lear, Act ii, Scene 2

Good | Will |

William Shakespeare

Ah, she doth teach the torches to burn bright, it seems she hangs against the cheek of night like a rich jewel from an Ethiope's ear, beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.

Error | Fault | History | Fault |

William Shakespeare

All hell shall stir for this. King Henry V. Act v. Sc. 1.

Love | Trust |

William Shakespeare

A falcon, touring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd. Macbeth, Act ii, Scene 4

Good | Will |

William Shakespeare

A league from Epidamnum had we sailed before the always wind-obeying deep Gave any tragic instance of our harm. Comedy of Errors, Act i, Scene 1

William Shakespeare

A merry heart goes all the day, your sad tires in a mile-a. A Winter’s Tale, Act iv, Scene 3

Object | Play | Words |

William Shakespeare

A' made a finer end and went away an it had been any christom child; a' parted even just between twelve and one, e'en at the turning o' th' tide: for after I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with flowers, and smile upon his fingers' ends, I knew there was but one way; for his nose was as sharp as a pen, and a' babbled of green fields. "How now, Sir John?" quoth I: "what, man! be o' good cheer." So a' cried out—"God, God, God!" three or four times. Now I, to comfort him, bid him a' should not think of God; I hoped there was no need to trouble himself with any such thoughts yet. Henry V, Scene ii

William Shakespeare

Alas, how love can trifle with itself!

William Shakespeare

And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. - (Act I, Scene III).

Will |

William Shakespeare

And where two raging fires meet together; they do consume the thing that feeds their fury. Though little fire grows great with little wind, yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all. Taming of the Shrew, Act ii, Scene 1

Gentleness | Pity | Will | Forgive |

William Shakespeare

CLAUDIO: The old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis-balls. LEONATO: Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard. Much Ado About Nothing, Act iii, Scene 2

William Shakespeare

Can’t help it? Nonsense! What we are is up to us. Our bodies are like gardens and our willpower is like the gardener. Depending on what we plant—weeds or lettuce, or one kind of herb rather than a variety, the garden will either be barren and useless, or rich and productive. If we didn’t have rational minds to counterbalance our emotions and desires, our bodily urges would take over. We’d end up in ridiculous situations. Thankfully, we have reason to cool our raging lusts. In my opinion, what you call love is just an offshoot of lust. Othello, Act I, Scene 3

Better | Care | Duty | Fear | Flattery | Little | Lord | Man | Men | Mind | Time | Will | Words | Following |