James Howell Quotes

“Could any State on Earth Immortall be,
Venice by Her rare Goverment is She;
Venice Great Neptunes Minion, still a Mayd,
Though by the warrlikst Potentats assayed;
Yet She retaines Her Virgin-waters pure,
Nor any Forren mixtures can endure;
Though, Syren-like on Shore and Sea, Her Face
Enchants all those whom once She doth embrace,
Nor is ther any can Her bewty prize
But he who hath beheld her with his Eyes:
Those following Leaves display, if well observed,
How she long Her Maydenhead preserved,
How for sound prudence She still bore the Bell;
Whence may be drawn this high-fetchd parallel,
Venus and Venice are Great Queens in their degree,
Venus is Queen of Love, Venice of Policie.”

— James Howell

“It's no use crying over spilt milk'
*It means that what has happened is over and can not be changed, so clean up the mess and get on with life*
What's done, is done.”

— James Howell

“This life at best is but an inn, And we the passengers.”

— James Howell

“The creditor hath a better memory than the debtor.”

— James Howell

“Burn not thy fingers to snuff another man's candle.”

— James Howell

“All we can do is be better prepared today than yesterday and better prepared tomorrow than today.”

— James Howell

“One hair of a woman can draw more than a hundred pair of oxen.”

— James Howell

“Proverbs may not improperly be called the philosophy of the common people.”

— James Howell

“Respect a man, he will do it the more.”

— James Howell

“Who has the fame to be an early riser may sleep till noon.”

— James Howell

“We learn by teaching.”

— James Howell

“Respect a man, he will do the more.”

— James Howell

“Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.”

— James Howell

“French wines may be said but to pickle meat in the stomach, but this is the wine that digests, and doth not only breed good blood, but it nutrifieth also, being a glutinous substantial liquor; of this wine, if of any other, may be verified that merry induction: That good wine makes good blood, good blood causeth good humors, good humors cause good thoughts, good thoughts bring forth good works, good works carry a man to heaven, ergo, good wine carrieth a man to heaven.”

— James Howell

“Easter, so longed for, is gone in a day.”

— James Howell

“Apelles used to paint a good housewife on a snail, to import that she home-keeping.”

— James Howell

“Words are the soul's ambassadors, who go / Abroad upon her errands to and fro.”

— James Howell

“Such is the strength of art, rough things to shape.”

— James Howell

We are saved from nothing if we are not saved from sin.

— James Howell

“A secret is too little for one, enough for two, and too much for three.”

— James Howell

“He can hardly be a true friend to another, who is an enemy to himself.”

— James Howell

“Goose [pen] bee [wax] and calf [parchment] govern the world.
[Lat., Anser, apie, vitellus, populus et regna gubernant.]”

— James Howell

Appeles us'd to paint a good housewife upon a snayl; which intimated that she should be as slow from gadding abroad, and when she went she should carry her house upon her back; that is, she should make all sure at home.

— James Howell

Feed sparingly and defy the physician.

— James Howell

Love is the life of friendship.

— James Howell

God guard me from my friends, for I shall guard myself from my enemies.

— James Howell

Fly and you will catch the swallow.

— James Howell

God comes at last when we think he is farthest off.

— James Howell

“After rain comes fair weather.”

— James Howell

“Man's best candle is his understanding.”

— James Howell

The fangs of a bear, and the tusks of a wild boar, do not bite worse and make deeper gashes than a goose-quill sometimes; no, not even the badger himself, who is said to be so tenacious of his bite that he will not give over his hold till he feels his teeth meet and the bones crack.

— James Howell

“Little sins are pioneers of hell.”

— James Howell

“He that hath money in his purse cannot want a head for his shoulders.”

— James Howell

“In time of prosperity friends will be plenty; In time of adversity not one in twenty.”

— James Howell

Words and works eat not at one table.

— James Howell

“Nature, the handmaid of God Almighty, does nothing but with good advice, if we make research into the true reason of things.”

— James Howell

“Owe money at Easter and Lent will seem short to thee.”

— James Howell