70+ Edmund Spenser Quotes | Minimalist Quotes

Those that were up themselves, kept others low; Those that were low themselves, held others hard; He suffered them to ryse or greater grow; But every one did strive his fellow down to throw.
EDMUND SPENSER

Greatness Growth Hard Hold Low Oneself Suffering
No dainty flower or herbs that grows on ground, No arborett with painted blossoms drest And smelling sweet, but there it might be found To bud out fair, and throw her sweet smells all around.
EDMUND SPENSER

Flower Growth Herself Sweet
Fondnesse it were for any being free, To covet fetters, though they golden bee.
EDMUND SPENSER

Freedom Gold
Who would ever care to do brave deed, Or strive in virtue others to excel, If none should yield him his deserved meed Due praise, that is the spur of doing well? For if good were not praised more than ill, None would choose goodness of his own free will.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Brave Care Deserve Excellence Freedom Goodness Praise Virtue Willing
Man’s wretched state, That floures so fresh at morne, and fades at evening late.
EDMUND SPENSER

Evening Fade Fresh Man Morning Taste
The fish once caught, new bait will hardly bite.
EDMUND SPENSER

Advice Bite Hard Ocean
For since mine eyes your joyous sight did miss, my cheerful day is turned to cheerless night.
EDMUND SPENSER

Eyes Joy Missing Night
But O the exceeding grace Of highest God, that loves his creatures so, And all his works with mercy doth embrace, That blessed angels, he sends to and fro, To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe.
EDMUND SPENSER

Creature Enemy God Grace Love Man Mercy Service Wickedness
Sluggish idleness–the nurse of sin.
EDMUND SPENSER

Freedom Sin Wasted Time
Yet is there one more cursed than they all, That canker-worm, that monster, jealousie, Which eats the heart and feeds upon the gall, Turning all love’s delight to misery, Through fear of losing his felicity.
EDMUND SPENSER

Curse Feed Happiness Heart Jealous Lose Misery
For we by conquest, of our soveraine might,And by eternall doome of Fate’s decree,Have wonne the Empire of the Heavens bright.
EDMUND SPENSER

Bright Eternity Fate Forever Heaven Ourselves
Death is an equall doome To good and bad, the common In of rest.
EDMUND SPENSER

Bad Death Equality Goodness Rest
Laws ought to be fashioned unto the manners and conditions of the people whom they are meant to benefit, and not imposed upon them according to the simple rule of right.
EDMUND SPENSER

Fashion Law Manner Right Rule Simplicity
To be wise and eke to love, Is granted scarce to gods above.
EDMUND SPENSER

God Grant Love Wisdom
For deeds to die, however nobly done, And thoughts of men to as themselves decay, But wise words taught in numbers for to run, Recorded by the Muses, live for ay.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Death Live Man Thinking Wisdom Word
Good is no good, but if it be spend, God giveth good for none other end.
EDMUND SPENSER

End God Goodness
Me seems the world is run quite out of square,From the first point of his appointed source,And being once amiss grows daily worse and worse.
EDMUND SPENSER

Growth Quite Run World Worst
In one consort there sat cruel revenge and rancorous despite, disloyal treason and heart-burning hate.
EDMUND SPENSER

Burn Cruelty Death Hate Heart Oneself Revenge Treason
But Justice, though her dome she doe prolong, Yet at the last she will her owne cause right.
EDMUND SPENSER

Herself Justice Right Truth Win
A sweet attractive kind of grace, A full assurance given by looks, Continual comfort in a face, The lineaments of Gospel books– I trow that countenance cannot lye Whose thoughts are legible in the eye.
EDMUND SPENSER

Attraction Comfortable Eyes Grace Kind Sweet Thinking
The gentle minde by gentle deeds is knowne.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Gentle Mindset
But angels come to lead frail minds to rest in chaste desires, on heavenly beauty bound. You frame my thoughts, and fashion me within; you stop my tongue, and teach my heart to speak.
EDMUND SPENSER

Angel Desire Fashion Heart Leadership Stop Talk Teaching
Hard it is to teach the old horse to amble anew.
EDMUND SPENSER

Hard Horse Old Teaching
Bright as does the morning star appear, Out of the east with flaming locks bedight, To tell the dawning day is drawing near.
EDMUND SPENSER

Appearance Bed Bright Flame Light Morning Stars
For whatsoever from one place doth fall, Is with the tide unto an other brought: For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.
EDMUND SPENSER

Fall Lost Oneself Place
So passeth, in the passing of a day, Of mortal life the leaf, the bud, the flower.
EDMUND SPENSER

Day Flower Life Mortal Pass
For easy things, that may be got at will, Most sorts of men do set but little store.
EDMUND SPENSER

Easy Man Willing

Edmund Spenser Quotes

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