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Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

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Said in the 1500s

• “In the afternoon we were in a barge, watching the games on the river. The Queen was alone with Lord Robert and myself on the poop when they began to talk nonsense, and went so far, that Lord Robert at last said, as I was on the spot, there was no reason why they should not be married, if the Queen pleased.”

  Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (1532–1588) first seen 1561 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: From a letter by to (30 June 1561); J. A. Froude, History of England, vol. 7 (New York, 1881), Ch. IV

• “Christ seeks souls, not property. ... He who wants a large part of mankind to be such that ... he may act like a ferocious executioner toward them, press them into slavery, and through them grow rich, is a despotic master, not a Christian; a son of Satan, not of God; a plunderer, not a shepherd.”

  Bartolomé de las Casas (1484–1566) said by 1566 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “In these three words: It is a Joy, a bliss, an endless satisfying to me, were shewed three heavens, as thus: For the joy, I understood the pleasure of the Father; and for the bliss, the worship of the Son; and for the endless satisfying, the Holy Ghost. The Father is pleased, the Son is worshipped, the Holy Ghost is satisfied.”

  Julian of Norwich (1342–1500) said by 1500 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “You venerate the saints, and you take pleasure in touching their relics. But you disregard their greatest legacy, the example of a blameless life. No devotion is more pleasing to Mary than the imitation of Mary's humility. No devotion is more acceptable and proper to the saints than striving to imitate their virtues.”

  Erasmus (1466–1536) said by 1536 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: The Erasmus Reader (1990), p. 144.

• “As you talk, so is your heart.”

  Paracelsus (1493–1541) said by 1541 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “I hate the day, because it lendeth light To see all things, but not my love to see.”

  Edmund Spenser (1552–1599) first seen 1591 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Daphnaida (1591 or '92), line 407

• “A fool and his money be soon at debate: Which after with sorrow repents him too late.”

  Thomas Tusser (1524–1580) said by 1580 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “On the harp of the road what true melodies are being sounded! and its notes pierce the heart: There the Eternal Fountain is playing its endless life-streams of birth and death.”

  Kabir (1398–1518) said by 1518 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “It was fitting that such a holy Son should have a holy Mother.”

  Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) said by 1531 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Ulrich Zwingli E. Stakemeier, De Mariologia et Oecumenismo, K. Balic, ed., (Rome, 1962), p. 456.

• “Ah! Falso ribaldo!”

  Cesare Borgia (1475–1507) first seen 1502 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Cesare grabs Vitelli as they shake hands and says this (December 1502), as quoted by Edoardo Alvisi, 'Cesare Borgia, Duke of Romagna', Section 358, 1878.

• “Man must smash to bits his stolen, contrived Christian faith through powerful, enormous suffering of the heart, through an amazement that cannot be rejected. Through this, man becomes very small and despicable in his own eyes.”

  Thomas Müntzer (1489–1525) first seen 1524 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Special Exposure of False Faith" (1524)

• “Despise me not, For if I was swarthy once Thou canst regard me now; Since Thou hast regarded me, Grace and beauty hast Thou given me. ~ 33”

  John of the Cross (1542–1591) said by 1591 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “अन्याय, अधर्म, आदि का विनाश करना पूरे मानव जाति का कर्तव्य है।”

  महारणा प्रताप (1540–1597) said by 1597 at the latest wikiquote:hi, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “What indeed is more beautiful than heaven, which of course contains all things of beauty.”

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) said by 1543 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Introduction to Book 1, as quoted/translated by Edward Rosen, Nicholas Copernicus on the Revolutions (1978) ed. Jerzy Dobrzycki, Edward Rosen.

• “Ne la grandezza giova ne 'l diletto, Che s'acquista o si tenga con sospetto.”

  Francesco Berni (1497–1535) said by 1535 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “I haue medelyd in So many matyers vnder your Highnes that I am not able to answer them all...but harde it ys for me or any other medlyng as I haue done to lyue vnder your grace and your lawse but we must daylye offende and wher I haue offendyd, I most humblye aske mercye and pardon at your gracyous will and plesure.”

  Thomas Cromwell (1485–1540) first seen 1536 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Letter to Henry VIII whilst imprisoned in the Tower of London (12 June 1540), quoted in Roger Bigelow Merriman, Life and Letters of Thomas Cromwell, Volume II: Letters from 1536, Notes, Index (1902), p. 266

• “Thought the moon was made of green cheese.”

  François Rabelais (1494–1553) said by 1553 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Also quoted by: Francis Rabelais

• “And I say that Your Highnesses ought not to consent that any foreigner does business or sets foot here, except Christian Catholics, since this was the end and the beginning of the enterprise, that it should be for the enhancement and glory of the Christian religion, nor should anyone who is not a good Christian come to these parts.”

  Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) first seen 1492 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: 27 November 1492

• “He that loves pleasure, must for pleasure fall.”

  Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) said by 1593 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “This hath not offended the king.”

  Thomas More (1478–1535) said by 1535 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “For truth itself has not the privilege to be spoken at all times and in all sorts.”

  Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) said by 1592 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Also quoted by: Michael De Montaigne

• “È meglio donar la lana che la pecora.”

  Stefano Guazzo (1530–1593) said by 1593 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 294.

• “He who knows his own incapacity, knows something, after all.”

  Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549) said by 1549 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “It is not bright colors but good drawing that makes figures beautiful.”

  Titian (1490–1576) said by 1576 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: As quoted in The Quotable Artist (2002) by Peggy Hadden, p. 32.