“Steady of heart, and stout of hand.”

Canto I, stanza 21.
The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Steady of heart, and stout of hand." by Walter Scott?
Walter Scott photo
Walter Scott 151
Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet 1771–1832

Related quotes

Tibullus photo

“Be bold: Venus herself aids the stout-hearted.”
Audendum est: fortes adiuvat ipsa Venus.

Tibullus (-50–-19 BC) poet and writer (0054-0019)

Bk. 1, no. 2, line 16.
Elegies

Joseph Conrad photo

“For the great mass of mankind the only saving grace that is needed is steady fidelity to what is nearest to hand and heart in the short moment of each human effort.”

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-British writer

Notes on Life and Letters (1921), Part II,, "Tradition"

F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead photo

“The world continues to offer glittering prizes to those who have stout hearts and sharp swords”

F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead (1872–1930) British politician

"Idealism in International Politics", Rectoral Address at Glasgow University (7 November, 1923).
Quoted in The Times, 8 November 1923, according to "Guarantee of Peace: The League of Nations in British Policy 1914-1925" by Peter J. Yearwood, pg 280
Context: Politically, economically and philosophically the motive of self-interest not only is but must... and ought to be the mainspring of human conduct... For as long a time as the records of history have been preserved human societies passed through a ceaseless process of evolution and adjustment. This process has sometimes been pacific, but more often it has resulted from warlike disturbance. The strength of different nations, measured in terms of arms, varies from century to century. The world continues to offer glittering prizes to those who have stout hearts and sharp swords; it is therefore extremely improbable that the experience of future ages will differ in any material respect from that which has happened since the twilight of the human race … it is for us who, in our history have proved ourselves a martial … people … to maintain in our own hands the adequate means for our own protection and … to march with heads erect and bright eyes along the road of our imperial destiny.

Herodotus photo

“Far better is it to have a stout heart always, and suffer one's share of evils, than to be ever fearing what may happen.”

Book 7, Ch. 50 (trans. George Rawlinson)
Variant translation: It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.
The Histories

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow photo

“Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.”

St. 4.
Cf. Andrew Marvell, Upon the Death of Lord Hastings (1649): "Art indeed is long, but life is short".
A Psalm of Life (1839)
Source: Voices of the Night

John Dryden photo
Nisargadatta Maharaj photo

“(…) After all, what is will but steadiness of heart and mind. Given such steadfastness all can be achieved.”

Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897–1981) Indian guru

Will
Source: I am That, P.119.

William Hazlitt photo
Seneca the Younger photo
Rick Riordan photo

Related topics