Elizabeth I Quotes

I plucke up the goodlie greene herbes of sentences by pruning, eat them by reading, chawe them by musing, and laie them up at length in the hie seate of memorie by gathering them together; that I, having tasted the sweetenes, l may the lesse perceave the bitternes of this miserable life.

A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.

Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.

And therefore I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even the dust. I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too.

I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people.

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such small beasts.

Prosperity provideth, but adversity proveth friends.

Affection! Affection is false.

Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself.

God forgive you, but I never can.

To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it.

Of myself I must say this, I never was any greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait fast-holding prince, nor yet a master; my heart was never set on worldly goods, but only for my subjects' good.

There will never Queen sit in my seat with more zeal to my country, care to my subjects and that will sooner with willingness venture her life for your good and safety than myself. For it is my desire to live nor reign no longer than my life and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had, and may have, many princes more mighty and wise sitting in this seat, yet you never had nor shall have, any that will be more careful and loving.

Hang Irish harpers wherever found.

A fool too late bewares when all the peril is past.

Ye may have a greater prince, but ye shall never have a more loving prince.

Be of good cheer, for you will never want, for the bullet was meant for me, though it hit you.

Princes have big ears which hear far and near.

[On being told Mary, Queen of Scots, was taller than she:] Then she is too high, for I myself am neither too high nor too low.

The past cannot be cured.

If I should say the sweetest speech with the eloquentest tongue that ever was in man, I were not able to express that restless care which I have ever bent to govern for the greatest wealth.

There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith. All else is a dispute over trifles.

I shall lend credit to nothing against my people which parents would not believe against their own children.

I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people. Therefore I have cause to wish nothing more than to content the subject and that is a duty which I owe. Neither do I desire to live longer days than I may see your prosperity and that is my only desire.

Although my royal rank causes me to doubt whether my kingdom is not more sought after than myself, yet I understand that you havefound other graces in me.

Must! Is must a word to be addressed to princes? Little man, little man! Thy father, if he had been alive, durst not have used that word.

Who seeketh two strings to one bow, they may shoot strong, but never straight.

This is the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes.

It is good to jest, but not to make a trade of jesting.

I would not open windows into men's souls.

My seat has been the seat of kings, and I will have no rascal to succeed me.

If thy heart fails thee, climb not at all.

I pray to God that I shall not live one hour after I have thought of using deception.

If we still advise we shall never do.

Grief never ends, but it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness nor a lack of faith: it is the price of love.

we Princes are set as it were upon stages, in the sight and view of all the world. The least spot is soon spied in our garments, a blemish quickly noticed in our doings.

The stone often recoils on the head of the thrower.

There is an Italian proverb which saith, From my enemy let me defend myself; but from a pretensed friend Lord deliver me

The end crowneth the work.

The name of a successor is like the tolling of my own death-bell!

I will be as good unto ye as ever a Queen was unto her people. No will in me can lack, neither do I trust shall there lack any power. And persuade yourselves that for the safety and quietness of you all I will not spare if need be to spend my blood.

Brass shines as fair to the ignorant as gold to the goldsmiths.

He that will forget God, will also forget his benefactors.

God has given such brave soldiers to this Crown that, if they do not frighten our neighbours, at least they prevent us from being frightened by them.

I regret the unhappiness of princes who are slaves to forms and fettered by caution.

Where might is mixed with wit, there is too good an accord in a government.

I have no desire to make windows into men's souls.

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.