Elizabeth i quotes

Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.

I cannot find it in me to fear a man who took ten years a learning of his alphabet.

Mr. Doctor, that loose gown becomes you so well I wonder your notions should be so narrow.

Answer on being asked her opinion of Christ's presence in the Sacrament. 'Twas God the word that spake it, He took the Bread and brake it; And what the word did make it That I believe, and take it.

It is hard to find beauty in the art of self expression.

Princes have big ears which hear far and near.

There is a close tie of affection between sovereigns and their subjects; and as chaste wives should have no eyes but for their husbands, so faithful liegemen should keep their regards at home and not look after foreign crowns. For my part I like not for my sheep to wear a stranger's mark nor to dance after a foreigner's whistle.

Monarchs ought to put to death the authors and instigators of war, as their sworn enemies and as dangers to their states.

As for my own part I care not for death, for all men are mortal; and though I be a woman yet I have as good a courage answerable to my place as ever my father had. I am your anointed Queen. I will never be by violence constrained to do anything. I thank God I am indeed endowed with such qualities that if I were turned out of the realm in my petticoat I were able to live in any place in Christendom.

I have never been able to be so allured by the prospect of advantages or so terrified by misfortunes, swayed by honours or fettered by affection, nay not even so smitten by the fear of death, as to enter upon marriage.

A good face is the best letter of recommendation.

I will be as good unto ye as ever a Queen was unto her people. No will in me can lack, neither do I trust shall there lack any power. And persuade yourselves that for the safety and quietness of you all I will not spare if need be to spend my blood.

I am more afraid of making a fault in my Latin than of the Kings of Spain, France, Scotland, the whole House of Guise, and all of their confederates.

Be of good cheer, for you will never want, for the bullet was meant for me, though it hit you.

God forgive you, but I never can.

Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself.

The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy.

The stone often recoils on the head of the thrower.

There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.

I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England.

There is one thing higher than Royalty: and that is religion, which causes us to leave the world, and seek God.

A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.

I do not want a husband who honors me as a queen if he does not love me as a woman.

Though I am not imperial, and though Elizabeth may not deserve it, the Queen of England will easily deserve to have an emperor's son to marry.

Words are leaves, the substance consists of deeds, which are the true fruits of a good tree.

Had I been crested, not cloven, my Lords, you had not treated me thus.

I may not be a lion,but I am lions cub and I have lion's heart

One man with a head on his shoulders is worth a dozen without.

Grief never ends, but it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness nor a lack of faith: it is the price of love.

I would not open windows into men's souls.

This is the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes.

[I]n the end this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a Queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin.

I plucke up the goodlie greene herbes of sentences by pruning, eat them by reading, chawe them by musing, and laie them up at length in the hie seate of memorie by gathering them together; that I, having tasted the sweetenes, l may the lesse perceave the bitternes of this miserable life.

My care is like my shadow in the sun, Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done.

Eyes of youth have sharp sight but commonly not so deep as those of elder age.

There is no marvel in a woman learning to speak, but there would be in teaching her to hold her tongue

My seat has been the seat of kings, and I will have no rascal to succeed me.

The end crowneth the work.

Where might is mixed with wit, there is too good an accord in a government.

Of myself I must say this, I never was any greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait fast-holding prince, nor yet a master; my heart was never set on worldly goods, but only for my subjects' good.

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

Although my royal rank causes me to doubt whether my kingdom is not more sought after than myself, yet I understand that you havefound other graces in me.

[On being told Mary, Queen of Scots, was taller than she:] Then she is too high, for I myself am neither too high nor too low.

It is good to jest, but not to make a trade of jesting.

Who seeketh two strings to one bow, they may shoot strong, but never straight.

If thy heart fails thee, climb not at all.

The sea, as well as the air, is a free and common thing to all; and a particular nation cannot pretend to have the right to the exclusion of all others, without violating the rights of nature and public usage.

Chastity is the ermine of woman's soul.

Let the good service of well-deservers be never rewarded with loss. Let their thanks be such as may encourage more strivers for the like.

I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married.

If there were two princes in Christendom who had good will and courage, it would be very easy to reconcile the religious difficulties; there is only one Jesus Christ and one faith, and all the rest is a dispute over trifles.

Have a care over my people. You have my people--do you that which I ought to do. They are my people.... See unto them--see unto them, for they are my charge.... I care not for myself; my life is not dear to me. My care is for my people. I pray God, whoever succeedeth me, be as careful of them as I am.

I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people. Therefore I have cause to wish nothing more than to content the subject and that is a duty which I owe. Neither do I desire to live longer days than I may see your prosperity and that is my only desire.

I will have here but one mistress and no master.

I would gladly chastise those who represent things as different from what they are. Those who steal property or make counterfeit money are punished, and those ought to be still more severely dealt with who steal away or falsify the good name of a prince.

I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people.

Be always faithful to me, as I always desire to keep you in peace; and if there have been wiser kings, none has ever loved you more than I have.

I have the heart of a man, not a woman, and I am not afraid of anything.

There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith. All else is a dispute over trifles.

He who placed me in this seat will keep me here.

Affection! Affection is false.

[To Parliament, when it urged her to marry and settle the succession:] You attend to your own duties and I'll perform mine.

The word must is not to be used to princes.

If I follow the inclination of my nature, it is this: beggar-woman and single, far rather than queen and married.

Must! Is must a word to be addressed to princes? Little man, little man! Thy father, if he had been alive, durst not have used that word.

It is monstrous that the feet should direct the head.

A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food.

To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it.

A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.

I will never be by violence constrained to do anything.

Although I may not be a lioness, I am a lion's cub, and inherit many of his qualities; and as long as the King of France treats me gently he will find me as gentle and tractable as he can desire; but if he be rough, I shall take the trouble to be just as troublesome and offensive to him as I can.

I have no desire to make windows into men's souls.

Prosperity provideth, but adversity proveth friends.

My mortal foe can no ways wish me a greater harm than England's hate; neither should death be less welcome unto me than such a mishap betide me.

All my possessions for a moment of time.

[On Thomas Seymour's death:] This day died a man of much wit and very little judgment.

Where minds differ and opinions swerve there is scant a friend in that company.

There is an Italian proverb which saith, From my enemy let me defend myself; but from a pretensed friend Lord deliver me

When we hang on to resentments, we poison ourselves. As compulsive overeaters, we cannot afford resentment, since it exacerbates our disease.

Do not tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested.

I grieve and dare not show my discontent, I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, I do, yet dare not say I ever meant, I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate. I am and not, I freeze and yet am burned, Since from myself another self I turned. My care is like my shadow in the sun, Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done.

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such small beasts.

I do not choose that my grave should be dug while I am still alive.

I would rather go to any extreme than suffer anything that is unworthy of my reputation, or of that of my crown.

There is nothing in the world I hold in greater horror than to see a body moving against its head: and I shall be very careful notto ally myself with such a monster.

It has been always held for a special principle in friendship that prosperity provideth but adversity proveth friends.

No foteball player be used or suffered within the City of London and the liberties thereof upon pain of imprisonment.

I don't keep a dog and bark myself.

There will never Queen sit in my seat with more zeal to my country, care to my subjects and that will sooner with willingness venture her life for your good and safety than myself. For it is my desire to live nor reign no longer than my life and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had, and may have, many princes more mighty and wise sitting in this seat, yet you never had nor shall have, any that will be more careful and loving.

Brass shines as fair to the ignorant as gold to the goldsmiths.

[To Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, on his return from self-imposed exile, occasioned by the embarrassing flatulence he had experienced in the presence of the Queen:] My Lord, I had forgot the fart.

The name of a successor is like the tolling of my own death-bell!

I am already bound unto an husband, which is the kingdom of England.

A fool too late bewares when all the peril is past.

Those who appear the most sanctified are the worst

... [ellipsis in source] it is true that the world was made in six days, but it was by God, to whose power the infirmity of men isnot to be compared.

I have seen many a man turn his gold into smoke, but you are the first who has turned smoke into gold.

Young heads take example of the ancient

For, what is a family without a steward, a ship without a pilot, a flock without a shepherd, a body without a head, the same, I think, is a kingdom without the health and safety of a good monarch.

My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourself to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm.

They best pass over the world who trip over it quickly; for it is but a bog. If we stop, we sink.

Though God hath raised me high, yet this I count the glory of my crown: That I have reigned with your loves.

[When opposed by leaders of her Council:] I will make you shorter by the head!

I pluck up the good lissome herbs of sentences by pruning, eat them by reading, digest them by musing, and lay them up at length in the high seat of memory.

I am no lover of pompous title, but only desire that my name may be recorded in a line or two, which shall briefly express my name, my virginity, the years of my reign, the reformation of religion under it, and my preservation of peace.

Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects.

And therefore I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even the dust. I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too.

The use of sea and air is common to all; neither can a title to the ocean belong to any people or private persons, forasmuch as neither nature nor public use and custom permit any possession therof.

I thank God I am endued with such qualities that if I were turned out of the Realm in my petticoat I were able to live in any place in Christendom.

He that will forget God, will also forget his benefactors.

The true sin against the Holy Ghost is ingratitude.

The daughter of debate That still discord doth sow.

Men fight wars. Women win them.

O Fortune, how thy restless, wavering state has fraught with cares my troubled wit!

When I was fair and young, and favor graced me, Of many was I sought, their mistress for to be; But I did scorn them all, and answered them therefore, "Go, go, go seek some otherwhere! Importune me no more!

The past cannot be cured.

Ye may have a greater prince, but ye shall never have a more loving prince.

Much suspected by me, Nothing proved can be

There is nothing about which I am more anxious than my country, and for its sake I am willing to die ten deaths, if that be possible.

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.

I observe and remain silent.

I regret the unhappiness of princes who are slaves to forms and fettered by caution.

I pray to God that I shall not live one hour after I have thought of using deception.

If we still advise we shall never do.

It is a natural virtue incident to our sex to be pitiful of those that are afflicted.