The Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations

Every quotation a nineteenth-century speaker or writer might want, grouped under its subject, with the author, the date and the source given as exactly as Hoyt could manage.

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Silence: Quotations from Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations

He that had neither beene kithe nor kin, Might have seene a full fayre sight.— THOMAS PERCY — Reliques of Ancient
Poetry. Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. There is none so blind as they that won't see.— SWIFT — Polite Conversation.
Dialogue III. For any man with half an eye, What stands before him may espy; But optics sharp it needs I ween, To see what is not to be seen.— JOHN TRUMBULL — Mc Fingal. Canto I. L. 67.
But silence never shows itself to so great an advantage, as when it is made the reply to calumny and defamation, provided that we give no just occasion for them.— ADDISON — The Tatler. No. 133.
Deep vengeance is the daughter of deep silence.— ALFIERI — La Congiura de Pazzi. I. 1.
There was silence deep as death; And the boldest held his breath, For a time. S.— CAMPBELL — Battle of the Baltic.
Silence is more eloquent than words.— CARLYLE — Heroes and Hero Worship.
Lecture II. Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of Life, which they are thenceforth to rule. и.— CARLYLE — Sartor Resartus. Bk. III. Ch. III.
Speech is great; but silence is greater.— CARLYLE — Essays. Characteristics of
Shakespeare. Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better. Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as Time.— CARLYLE — Essays. Memoir of the Life
of Scott. And they three passed over the white sands, between the rocks, silent as the shadows.— COLERIDGE — The Wanderings of Cain.
The silente man still suffers wrong. The Rock of Regard. J. P. COLLIER'S Reprint. 1576. Silently as a dream the fabric rose; No sound of hammer or of saw was there.— COWPER — The Task. Bk. V. L. 144.
Striving to tell his woes, words would not come; For light cares speak, when mighty griefs are dumb.— SAMUEL DANIEL — Complaint of Rosamond. St. 114.
Silence is the mother of Truth.— BENJ. DISRAELI — Tancred. Bk. IV. Ch. IV.
A horrid stillness first invades the ear, And in that silence we the tempest fear.— DRYDEN — Astræa Redux. L. 7.
C. Stillborn silence! thou that art Flood-gate of the deeper heart!— RICHARD FLECKNO — Siience.
And silence, like a poultice, comes To heal the blows of sound.— O. W. HOLMES — The Music Grinder.
Silence that spoke, and eloquence of eyes.— HOMER — Iliad. Bk. XIV. L. 252.
Pope's trans. There is a silence where hath been no sound, There is a silence where no sound may be, In the cold grave-under the deep, deep sea, Or in wide desert where no life is found, Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound.— HOOD — Sonnets. Silence.
Not much talk-a great, sweet silence. HENRY JAMES, JR. -A Bundle of Letters. Letter IV. Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time.— KEATS — Ode on a Grecian Urn.
All was silent as before- All silent save the dripping rain.— LONGFELLOW — A Rainy Day.
Three Silences there are the first of speech, The second of desire, the third of thought.— LONGFELLOW — The Three Silences of
Molinos. What shall I say to you? What can I say Better than silence is?— LONGFELLOW — Morituri Salutamus. L. 128.
Nothing is more useful than silence.— MENANDER — Ex Incert. Comœd.
P. 216. You know There are moments when silence, prolong'd and unbroken, More expressive may be than all words ever spoken, It is when the heart has an instinct of what In the heart of another is passing. OWEN MEREDITH (Lord Lytton)- Lucile. Pt. II. Canto I. St.
That silence is one of the great arts of conversation is allowed by Cicero himself, who says, there is not only an art, but even an eloquence in it.— HANNAH MORE — Essays on Various
Subjects. Thoughts on Conversation. Silence sweeter is than speech.— D. M. MULOCK — Magnus and Morna. Sc. 3.
Be silent and safe silence never betrays you.— JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY — Rules of the Road. St. 2.
Remember what Simonides said, -that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken.— PLUTARCH — Morals. Vol. I. Rules for
T. the Preservation of Health. Said Periander, "Hesiod might as well have kept his breath to cool his pottage." S.— PLUTARCH — Morals. Vol. II.
The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men. Silence in love bewrays more woe Than words, though ne'er so witty; A beggar that is dumb, you know, May challenge double pity.— SIR WALTER RALEIGH — The Silent Lover. St. 9.
Silence more musical than any song. น. CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI-Sonnet. Rest. Silent in seven languages.— SCHLEIERMACHER — See Letter of Zelter
to Goethe. March 15, 1830. Be check'd for silence, But never tax'd for speech.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 76.
I'll speak to thee in silence.— Shakespeare — Cymbeline. Act V. Sc. 4. L. 29.
Silence is only commendable In a neat's tongue dried and a maid not vendible.— Shakespeare — Merchant of Venice. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 111.
Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.— Shakespeare — Much Ado About Nothing. Act II. Sc. 1. L. 317.
The rest is silence.— Shakespeare — Hamlet. Act V. Sc. 2. L. 368.
What; gone without a word? Ay, so true love should do it cannot speak; For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it. bb.— Shakespeare — Two Gentlemen of Verona. Act II. Sc. 2. L. 16.
Silence! Oh, well are Death and Sleep and Thou Three brethren named, the guardians gloomywinged, Of one abyss, where life and truth and joy Are swallowed up.— SHELLEY — Fragments. Silence.
Shallow brookes murmur moste, deepe silent slide away.— SIR PHILIP SIDNEY — The Arcadia.
Thirsis and Dorus. Macaulay is like a book in breeches *** He has occasional flashes of silence, that make his conversation perfectly delightful. C.— SYDNEY SMITH — Lady Holland's Memoir. Vol. I. P. 363.
Silence oppresses with too great a weight.— SOPHOCLES — Antig. 1254.
The deepest rivers make least din, The silent soule doth most abound in care.— EARL OF STIRLING — Aurora.
1604. Song. But let me silent be: For silence is the speech of love, The music of the spheres above.— R. H. STODDARD — Speech of Love. St. 4.
Of every noble work the silent part is best, Of all expression, that which cannot be expressed.— W. W. STORY — The Unexpressed.
Silence, beautiful voice.— TENNYSON — Maud. Pt. V. St. 3.
Come then, expressive Silence.— THOMSON — Seasons. A Hymn. L. 188.
No sound is uttered, -but a deep And solemn harmony pervades The hollow vale from steep to steep, And penetrates the glades.— WORDSWORTH — Composed upon an
Evening of Extraordinary Splendour and Beauty. The silence that is in the starry sky.— WORDSWORTH — Song at the Feast of
Brougham Castle.
Est et fideli tuta silentio merces. There is likewise a reward for faithful silence.— HORACE — Carmina. III. 2. 25.
Rarus sermo illis et magna libido tacendi. Their conversation was brief, and their desire was to be silent.— JUVENAL — Satiræ. II. 14.
Exigua est virtus, præstare silentia rebus; Et contra gravis est culpa, tacenda loqui. To be silent is but a small virtue; but it is a serious fault to reveal secrets.— OVID — Ars Amatoria. II. 603.
Tacere multis discitur vitæ malis. Silence is learned by the many misfor tunes of life.— SENECA — Thyestes. 319.
L'amour-propre offensé ne pardonne jamais. Offended self-love never forgives.— VIZÉE — Les Aveux Difficiles. VII.
Voyez le beau rendez-vous qu'il me donne: cet homme là n'a jamais aimé que lui-même. Behold the fine appointment he makes with me; that man never did love any one but himself. k. MME. DE MAINTENON, when LOUIS XIV. in dying said, "Nous nous renverrons bientôt (We shall meet again).
Il ne voit que la nuit, n'entend que le silence. He sees only night, and hears only silence.— DELILLE — Imagination. IV.
La douleur qui se tait n'en est que plus funeste. Silent anguish is the more dangerous.— RACINE — Andromaque. III. 3.
Les gens sans bruit sont dangereux; Il n'en est pas ainsi des autres. Silent people are dangerous; others are not so.— LA FONTAINE — Fables. VIII. 23.
Le silence du peuple est la leçon des rois. The silence of the people is a lesson for kings. S. SOANEN, Bishop of Senax; also ABBÉ— DE BEAUVAIS — Funeral oration over.
Louis XV. Le silence est l'esprit des sots, Etl'une des vertus du sage. Silence is the genius of fools and one of the virtues of the wise.
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