John Selden Quotes (28 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

John Selden: 28 quotes1 like

Famous John Selden Quotes

Power.
Table Talk (1689)

“Equity is a roguish thing. For Law we have a measure, know what to trust to; Equity is according to the conscience of him that is Chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is Equity. 'T is all one as if they should make the standard for the measure we call a "foot" a Chancellor's foot; what an uncertain measure would this be! One Chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an indifferent foot. 'T is the same thing in the Chancellor's conscience.”

John Selden

Equity.
Table Talk (1689)

“Thou little thinkest what a little foolery governs the world.”

John Selden

Pope. Compare: "Behold, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed", Oxenstiern (1583–1654).
Table Talk (1689)

“Tis not the drinking that is to be blamed, but the excess.”

John Selden

Humility.
Table Talk (1689)

“You will want a book which contains not man's thoughts, but God's — not a book that may amuse you, but a book that can save you — not even a book that can instruct you, but a book on which you can venture an eternity — not only a book which can give relief to your spirit, but redemption to your soul — a book which contains salvation, and conveys it to you, one which shall at once be the Saviour's book and the sinner's.”

John Selden

as reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 29.

“Philosophy is nothing but discretion.”

John Selden

Philosophy.
Table Talk (1689)

John Selden Quotes about men

“Wise men say nothing in dangerous times.”

John Selden

Wisdom.
Table Talk (1689)

“Few men make themselves masters of the things they write or speak.”

John Selden

Learning.
Table Talk (1689)

“A king is a thing men have made for their own sakes, for quietness' sake. Just as in a family one man is appointed to buy the meat.”

John Selden

Of a King.
Table Talk (1689)

“Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him.”

John Selden

Law.
Table Talk (1689)

“The law against witches does not prove there be any; but it punishes the malice of those people that use such means to take away men's lives.”

John Selden

Witches.
Table Talk (1689)

John Selden Quotes

“Wit and wisdom are born with a man.”

John Selden

Learning.
Table Talk (1689)

“They that govern the most make the least noise.”

John Selden

Power.
Table Talk (1689)

“Never tell your resolution beforehand.”

John Selden

Wisdom.
Table Talk (1689)

“Old friends are best. King James used to call for his old shoes; they were easiest for his feet.”

John Selden

Friends.
Table Talk (1689)

“Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice; and yet everybody is content to hear.”

John Selden

Humility.
Table Talk (1689)

“Take a straw and throw it up into the air — you may see by that which way the wind is.”

John Selden

Libels.
Table Talk (1689)

“The House of Commons is called the Lower House, in twenty Acts of Parliament; but what are twenty Acts of Parliament amongst Friends?”

John Selden

House of Commons.
Table Talk (1689)

“Syllables govern the world.”

John Selden

Power.
Table Talk (1689)

“Commonly we say a judgement falls upon a man for something in him we cannot abide.”

John Selden

Judgements.
Table Talk (1689)

“Of all actions of a man's life his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all actions of our life 'tis most meddled with by other people.”

John Selden

Marriage.
Table Talk (1689)

“Gentelmen heve ever been more temperate in their religion than common people, as having more reason.”

John Selden

"gentelmen".
Table Talk (1689)

“Preachers say, Do as I say, not as I do.”

John Selden

Preaching.
Table Talk (1689)

“Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain.”

John Selden

Pleasure.
Table Talk (1689)

“Scrutamini scripturas (Let us look at the scriptures). These two words have undone the world.”

John Selden

Bible, Scripture.
Table Talk (1689)

“No man is the wiser for his learning.”

John Selden

Learning.
Table Talk (1689)

“Marriage is a desperate thing.”

John Selden

Marriage.
Table Talk (1689)

“The parish makes the constable, and when the constable is made he governs the parish.”

John Selden

Law.
Table Talk (1689)

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