
From Miscellaneous Thoughts, lines 283-290 ; as contained in The Poetical Works of Samuel Butler: A Revised Edition with Memoir and Notes, Volume 2, Samuel Butler, G. Bell & Sons (1893), pp. 275-276
Canto X, stanza 20 (tr. Fairfax)
Gerusalemme Liberata (1581)
Chè sovente addivien che 'l saggio e 'l forte Fabbro a se stesso è di beata sorte.
Gerusalemme Liberata (1581)
From Miscellaneous Thoughts, lines 283-290 ; as contained in The Poetical Works of Samuel Butler: A Revised Edition with Memoir and Notes, Volume 2, Samuel Butler, G. Bell & Sons (1893), pp. 275-276
“Stout men, not stout walls, make a well-held city.”
Source: Dragon Magic (1972), Chapter 5, “Shui Mien Lung—Slumbering Dragon” (p. 158)
“I always thought there was very little wit wanted to make a fortune in the City.”
Source: The Prime Minister (1876), Ch. 10
“Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile”
XIV. 463–466 (tr. Alexander Pope).
Odyssey (c. 725 BC)
Context: Tis sweet to play the fool in time and place,
And wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile,
The grave in merry measures frisk about,
And many a long-repented word bring out.
“Fortune, seeing that she could not make fools wise, has made them lucky.”
Book III, Ch. 8
This quote is a paraphrase of a lengthier statement, as follows: We ordinarily see, in the actions of the world, that Fortune, to shew us her power in all things, and who takes a pride in abating our presumption, seeing she could not make fools wise, has made them fortunate in emulation of virtue; and most favours those operations the web of which is most purely her own; whence it is that the simplest amongst us bring to pass great business, both public and private; and, as Seiramnes, the Persian, answered those who wondered that his affairs succeeded so ill, considering that his deliberations were so wise, ‘that he was sole master of his designs, but success was wholly in the power of fortune’; these may answer the same, but with a contrary turn.
From Essays of Michel de Montaigne, translated by Charles Cotton (1877), Book the Third, Chapter VIII — Of The Art Of Conference. Note : this is the version found at Project Gutenberg.
Attributed
Vohu-Khshathra Gatha; Yasna 51, 1.
The Gathas
“Although the masters make the rules
For the wise men and the fools
I got nothing, Ma, to live up to”
Song lyrics, Bringing It All Back Home (1965), It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
“Losers always meet with mockery, Heaven sides with the fortunate.”
Der schadehafte erwarp ie spot:
sælden pflihtær dem half got.
Bk. 6, st. 289, line 11; p. 151.
Parzival