William Penn

A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.

Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom.

Nothing does Reason more Right, than the Coolness of those that offer it: for Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than from the arguments of its opposers.

Let us try what love will do.

Children had rather be making of Tools and Instruments of Play; Shaping, Drawing, Framing, and Building, &c. than getting some Rules of Propriety of Speech by Heart: And those also would follow with more Judgment, and less Trouble and Time.

Nothing does reason more right, than the coolness of those that offer it: For Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers.

Every mind has a choice between truth and repose. Take which you please you can never have both.

The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man’s body.

He presents me with what is always an acceptable gift who brings me news of a great thought before unknown. He enriches me without impoverishing himself.

Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.

Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself.

He that has more knowledge than judgment, is made for another man’s use more than his own.

Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.

Worth seeing? Yes; but not worth going to see.

One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose.

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.

Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous.

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God; and to do that, thou must be ruled by him who has given to kings his grace to command themselves and their subjects, and to the people the grace to obey God and their kings.

Wit makes its own welcome, and levels all distinctions. No dignity, no learning, no force of character, can make any stand against good wit.