William Penn

Friendship is the next Pleasure we may hope for: And where we find it not at home, or have no home to find it in, we may seek it abroad. It is an Union of Spirits, a Marriage of Hearts, and the Bond thereof Vertue.

Zeal ever follows an appearance of truth, and the assured are too apt to be warm; but it is their weak side in argument; zeal being better shown against sin than persons, or their mistakes.

Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.

The truest end of life is to know that life never ends.

The Country is both the Philosopher’s Garden and his Library, in which he Reads and Contemplates the Power, Wisdom and Goodness of God.

Do what good thou canst unknown, and be not vain of what ought rather to be felt than seen.

There is a wisdom of the head, and there is a wisdom of the heart.

No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.

All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women.

What your heart thinks is great, is great. The soul’s emphasis is always right.

There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt.

There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.

It isn’t safe to sit in judgment upon another person’s illusion when you are not on the inside. While you are thinking it is a dream, he may be knowing it is a planet.

There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream, a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought -a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.

The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence.

There is nothing assured to mortals.

If we win, nobody will care. If we lose, there will be nobody to care.

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.

Oftentimes, it’s the way we react to change that is the thing that determines the overall experience.

There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.