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Praise: Quotations from Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations
Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God.— COLERIDGE — Hymn Before Sunrise in the
Vale of Chamouni. Last line. Praise enough To fill the ambition of a private man, That Chatham's language was his mothertongue.— COWPER — The Task. Bk. II. L. 235.
When needs he must, yet faintly then he praises; Somewhat the deed, much more the means he raises : So marreth what he makes, and praising most, dispraises.— PHINEAS FLETCHER — The Purple Island. Canto VII. St. 67.
Long open panegyric drags at best, And praise is only praise when well address'd.— GAY — Ep. I. L. 29.
Good people all, with one accord, Lament for Madame Blaize, Who never wanted a good word- From those who spoke her praise.— GOLDSMITH — Elegy on Mrs. Mary Blaize.
Praise from a friend, or censure from a foe, Are lost on hearers that our merits know.— HOMER — Iliad. Bk. X. L. 293.
Pope's trans. Praise me not too much, Nor blame me, for thou speakest to the Greeks Who know me.— HOMER — Niad. Bk. X. L. 289.
Bryant's trans. A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.— LA ROCHEFOUCAULD — Maxims. No. 152.
The sweeter sound of woman's praise.— MACAULAY — Lines Written on the Night
of 30th of July, 1847. And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning praised God and his works.— MILTON — Paradise Lost. Bk. VII. L. 258.
Join voices, all ye living souls: ye birds, That singing up to heaven-gate ascend, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise.— MILTON — Paradise Lost. Bk. V. L. 197.
Of whom to be disprais'd were no small praise.— MILTON — Paradise Regained. Bk. 3. L. 56.
Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer.— POPE — Prologue to Satires. L. 201.
Solid pudding against empty praise. S.— POPE — Dunciad. Bk. I. L. 54.
To what base ends, and by what abject ways, Are mortals urg'd through sacred lust of praise!— POPE — Essay on Criticism. L. 520.
Delightful praise!-like summer rose, That brighter in the dew-drop glows, The bashful maiden's cheek appear'd, For Douglas spoke, and Malcolm heard.— SCOTT — Lady of the Lake. Canto II. St. 24.
All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights Are spectacled to see him.— Shakespeare — Coriolanus. Act II. Sc. 1. L. 221.
Our praises are our wages.— Shakespeare — Winter's Tale. Act I. Sc. 2. L. 94.
Praising what is lost Makes the remembrance dear.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act V. Sc. 3. L. 19.
Thou wilt say anon he is some kin to thee, Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him.— Shakespeare — Merchant of Venice. Act II. Sc. 9. L. 97.
We bow our heads before Thee, and we laud And magnify Thy name, Almighty God! But Man is Thy most awful instrument, In working out a pure intent.— WORDSWORTH — Ode. Imagination ne'er
before Content. I grant the man is vain who writes for praise. Praise no man e'er deserved who sought no more. aa.— YOUNG — Night Thoughts. Night V. L. 3.
The love of praise, howe'er conceal'd by art, Reigns more or less, and glows, in ev'ry heart.— YOUNG — The Love of Fame. Satire I. L. 51.
The most pleasing of all sounds that of your own praise.— XENOPHON — Hiero. I. 14. Watson's
Trahimur omnes laudis studio, et optimus quisque maxime gloriâ ducitur. We are all excited by the love of praise, and the noblest are most influenced by glory.— CICERO — Oratio Pro Licinio Archia. XI,
Laudator temporis acti. A eulogist of past times.— HORACE — Ars Poetica. 173.
Principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est. To please great men is not the last degree of praise.— HORACE — Epistolæ. I. 17. 35.
Id facere laus est quod decet, non quod licet. He deserves praise who does not what he may, but what he ought.— SENECA — Octavia. 454.
Cela est beau, et je vous louerais davantage si vous m'aviez loué moins. That is fine, and I would have praised you more had you praised me less. Attributed to LOUIS XIV.