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Honor: Quotations from Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations
"Honesty is the best policy," but he who acts on that principle is not an honest man.— ARCHBISHOP WHATELY — Thoughts and Apothegms. Pt. II. Ch. XVIII.
Pious Frauds. An Ambassador is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the commonwealth.— SIR HENRY WOTTON — A Panegyric to
King Charles. How happy is he born and taught That serveth not another's will; Whose armour is his honest thought, And simple truth his utmost skill.— SIR HENRY WOTTON — The Character of
a Happy Life.
Better to die ten thousand deaths, Than wound my honour.— ADDISON — Cato. Act I. Sc. 4.
The sense of honour is of so fine and delicate a nature, that it is only to be met with in minds which are naturally noble, or in such as have been cultivated by good examples, or a refined education. S.— ADDISON — The Guardian. No. 161.
As quick as lightning, in the breach Just in the place where honour's lodged, As wise philosophers have judged, Because a kick in that place more Hurts honour than deep wounds before.— BUTLER — Hudibras. Pt. II. Canto III. L. 1,066.
If he that in the field is slain Be in the bed of honour lain, He that is beaten may be said To lie in Honour's truckle-bed. и. BUTLER-Hudibras. Pt. I. Canto III. L. 1,047. Now, while the honour thou hast got Is spick and span new.— BUTLER — Hudibras. Pt. I. Canto III. Canto III. L. 397.
Honor lies in honest toil.— GROVER CLEVELAND — Letter Accepting
Nomination for President. Aug. 18, 1884. Wm. O. Stoddard. Life of Grover Cleveland. Ch. XV. ** Therefore I am wel pleased to * take any coulor to defend your honour and hope you wyl remember that who seaketh two strings to one bowe, he may shute strong but neuer strait.— QUEEN ELIZABETH TO JAMES VI
Letter X. Edited by John Bruce. Titles of honour add not to his worth, Who is himself an honour to his titles.— JOHN FORD — The Lady's Trial. Act 1. Sc. 3. L. 30
Title and profit I resign; The post of honour shall be mine.— GAY — Fables. The Vulture, the Sparrow, and other Birds. L. 71.
Your word is as good as the Bank, sir.— HOLCROFT — The Road to Ruin. Act I. Sc. 3. L. 235.
Great honours are great burdens, but on whom They are cast with envy, he doth bear two loads. His cares must still be double to his joys, In any dignity.— BEN JONSON — Catiline. His Conspiracy. Act III. Sc. 1. L. 1.
Dead on the field of honour. Answer given in the roll-call of LA TOUR D' AUVERGNE's regiment after his death. Honour is purchas'd by the deeds we do; *** honour is not won, Until some honourable deed be done.— MARLOWE — Hero and Leander.
First Sistiad. L. 276. When honor comes to you be ready to take it; But reach not to seize it before it is near.— JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY — Rules of the
Road. Honour, the spur that pricks the princely mind, To follow rule and climb the stately chair.— GEORGE PEELE — The Battle of Alcazar. Act I.
We'll shine in more substantial honours, And to be noble, we'll be good.— THOS. PERCY — Reliques. Winifreda.
Honour and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part, there all the honour lies.— POPE — Essay on Man. Ep. IV. L. 193.
And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, So honour peereth in the meanest habit.— Shakespeare — Taming of the Shrew. Act IV. Sc. 3. L. 175.
And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter; For new-made honour doth forget men's names.— Shakespeare — King John. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 186.
And pluck up drowned honour by the locks. Henry IV. Pt. 1. Act I. Sc. 3. L. 205. A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good livery of honour.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act IV. Sc. 5. L. 105.
But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive.— Shakespeare — Henry V. Act IV. Sc. 3. L. 28.
For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men. 0. Julius Cæsar. Act III. Sc. 2. L. 87. For he's honourable And doubling that, most holy.— Shakespeare — Cymbeline. Act III. Sc. 4. L. 179.
For honour travels in a strait so narrow, Where one but goes abreast.— Shakespeare — Troilus and Cressida. Act III. Sc. 3. L. 154.
Honours thrive, When rather from our acts we them derive Than our foregoers.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act II. Sc. 3. L. 142.
If I lose mine honour, I lose myself; better I were not yours Than yours so branchless.— Shakespeare — Antony and Cleopatra. Act III. Sc. 4. L. 22.
Let none presume To wear an undeserv'd dignity. O, that estates, degrees and offices Were not deriv'd corruptly, and that clear honour Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!— Shakespeare — Merchant of Venice. Act II. Sc. 9. L. 39.
Methinks it were an easy leap, To pluck bright honour from the pale-fac'd moon.— Shakespeare — Henry IV. Pt. I. Act I. Sc. 3. L. 201.
Mine honour let me try: In that I live, and for that will I die.— Shakespeare — Richard II. Act I. Sc. I. L. 184.
See that you come Not to woo honour, but to wed it.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act II. Sc. 1. L. 14.
Thou art a fellow of a good respect; Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it. Julius Cæsar. Act V. Sc. 5. L. 45. Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off, when I come on? how then? Can honour set to a leg? no: or an arm? no: or take away the grief of a wound? no: Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? no. What is honour? a word. What is in that word honour? What is that honour? air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it? he that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? no. Doth he hear it? no. 'Tis insensible, then. Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? no. Why? detraction will not suffer it. Therefore, I'll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon; and so ends my catechism.— Shakespeare — Henry IV. Pt. I. Act V. Sc. 1. L. 129
Honour sits smiling at the sale of truth.— SHELLEY — Queen Mab. Canto IV. L. 218.
His honor rooted in dishonor stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.— TENNYSON — Idyls of the King. Lancelot and Elaine. L. 886.
Turpe quid ausurus, te sine teste time. When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness.— AUSONIUS — Septem Sapientum Sententiæ
Septenis Veribus Explicatæ. III. 7. Nulla est laus ibi esse integrum, ubi nemo est, qui aut possit aut conetur rumpere. There is no praise in being upright, where no one can, or tries to corrupt you.— CICERO — In Verrem. II. 1. 16.
Semper in fide quid senseris, non quid dixeris, cogitandum. In honorable dealing you should consider what you intended, not what you said or thought.— CICERO — De Officiis. I. 13.
Summum crede nefas, animum præferre pudori, Et propter vitam vivendi perdere causas. Believe it to be the greatest of all infamies, to prefer your existence to your honor, and for the sake of life to lose every inducement to live.— JUVENAL — Satiræ. VIII. 83.
Quod pulcherrimum idem tutissimum est. What is honorable is also safest.— LIVY — Annales. XXXIV. 14.
Et ille quidem plenus annis abiit, plenus honoribus, illis etiam quos recusavit. He died full of years and of honors, equally illustrious by those he refused as by those he accepted. PLINY the Younger-Epistolæ. II. 1. Suum cuique decus posteritas rependit. Posterity gives to every man his true honor.— TACITUS — Annales. IV. 35.
Faisons ce que l'honneur exige. Let us do what honor demands.— RACINE — Bérénice. IV. 4.
Ici l'honneur m'oblige, et j'y veux satisfaire. Here honor binds me, and I wish to satisfy it.— CORNEILLE — Polyeucte. IV. 3.
L'honneur est comme une île escarpée et sans bords; On n'y peut plus rentrer dès qu'on en est dehors. Honor is like an island, rugged and without shores; we can never re-enter it once we are on the outside.— BOILEAU — Satires. X. 167.