“Never marry but for love; but see that thou lov'st what is lovely.”
Source: A Collection of the Works of William Penn: To which is Prefixed a Journal of His Life, with Many Original Letters and Papers Not Before Published
“A Garden, an Elaboratory, a Work - house, Improvements and Breeding, are pleasant and Profitable Diversions to the Idle and Ingenious: For here they miss Ill Company, and converse with Nature and Art; whose Variety are equally grateful and instructing; and preserve a good Constitution of Body and Mind.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“Knowledge is the treasure, but judgment the treasurer, of a wise man.”
“All excess is ill, but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous and mad. In fine, he that is drunk is not a man: because he is so long void of Reason, that distinguishes a Man from a Beast.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him. Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”
“A man in business must put up many affronts if he loves his own quiet.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“We are apt to be very pert at censuring others, where we will not endure advice.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous, and mad.”
“Never give out while there is hope; but hope not beyond reason, for that shows more desire than judgement.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“That all persons living in this province, who confess and acknowledge the one Almighty and eternal God, to be the Creator, Upholder and Ruler of the world; and that hold themselves obliged in conscience to live peaceably and justly in civil society, shall, in no ways, be molested or prejudiced for their religious persuasion, or practice, in manners of faith and worship, nor shall they be compelled, at any time, to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place or ministry whatever.”
“It is safer to learn than teach; and who conceals his opinion has nothing to answer for.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles.”
“No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.”
Source: No Cross, No Crown: A Discourse, Shewing the Nature and Discipline of the Holy Cross of Christ ...
“Man, being made reasonable, and so a thinking creature, there is nothing more worthy of his being than the right direction and employment of his thoughts; since upon this depends both his usefulness to the public, and his own present and future benefit in all respects.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“There can be no friendship where there is no freedom. Friendship loves a free air, and will not be fenced up in straight and narrow enclosures.”
“It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the world they have lived in.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“Unless virtue guide us our choice must be wrong.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“Let men be good, and the Government cannot be bad.”
“Haste makes work which caution prevents.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“Experience is a safe guide.”
Source: Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims Relating to the Conduct of Human Life
“To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as morals.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“We are too apt to love praise, but not to deserve it.”
Source: A Collection of the Works of William Penn: To which is Prefixed a Journal of His Life, with Many Original Letters and Papers Not Before Published
“Dislike what deserves it, but never hate: for that is of the nature of malice; which is almost ever to persons, not things, and is one of the blackest qualities sin begets in the soul.”
Source: Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims Relating to the Conduct of Human Life
“Death cannot kill what never dies.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“Death is only a horizon, and a horizon is only the limit of your sight. Open your eyes to see more clearly.”
“If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.”
“It would go a long way to caution and direct people in their use of the world that they would better studied and known in the creation of it. For how could man find the confidence to abuse it, while they should see the Great Creator stare them in the face, in all and every part thereof?”
“True Godliness doesn't turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavors to mend it. ...We have nothing that we can call our own; no, not our selves: for we are all but Tenants, and at Will, too, of the great Lord of our selves, and the rest of this great farm, the World that we live upon.”
“Where thou art Obliged to speak, be sure speak the Truth: For Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell.”
Source: Fruits of solitude in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life. A new ed
“Neither despise nor oppose what thou dost not understand.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“The truest end of life is to know the life that never ends.”
Source: Fruits of solitude in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life: Also, his advice to his children relating to their civil and religious conduct, to which are added extracts from the writings of William Law & Judge Hale; with a
“[I]t is impossible that any people of government should ever prosper, where men render not unto God, that which is God's, as well as to Caesar, that which is Caesar's.”
“Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them, and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad; if it be ill, they will cure it. But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavour to warp and spoil it to their turn.”
Source: Memoirs of the private and public life of William Penn: who settled the state of Pennsylvania, and founded the city of Philadelphia
“For we put the power in the people.”
“Hasty resolutions are of the nature of vows, and to be equally avoided.”
Source: Fruits of solitude in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life. A new ed
“Not to be provok'd is best: But if mov'd, never correct till the fume is spent; for every stroke our fury strikes, is sure to hit our selves at last.”
Source: The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
“Those who live to live forever, never fear dying.”
“Next to God, thy parents.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“Charity is ... a universal remedy against discord, and an holy cement for mankind.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn....
“Where charity keeps pace with gain, industry is blessed.”
Source: The Select Works of William Penn: In Five Volumes. ...
“To hazard much to get much has more of avarice than wisdom.”
Source: A Collection of the Works of William Penn: To which is Prefixed a Journal of His Life, with Many Original Letters and Papers Not Before Published
“There is nothing of which we are apt to be so lavish as of time, and about which we ought to be more solicitous; since without it we can do nothing in this world.”
Source: Fruits of solitude in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life. A new ed
“Truth never lost ground by enquiry.”
Source: A Collection of the Works of William Penn: To which is Prefixed a Journal of His Life, with Many Original Letters and Papers Not Before Published
“They have a right to censure that have a heart to help.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“The country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God; but in cities little else but the works of men. And the one makes a better subject for contemplation than the other.”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
“It is wise not to seek a secret, and honest not to reveal one.”
Source: A Collection of the Works of William Penn: To which is Prefixed a Journal of His Life, with Many Original Letters and Papers Not Before Published
“Did we believe a final Reckoning and Judgment; or did we think enough of what we do believe, we would allow more Love in Religion than we do; since Religion it self is nothing else but Love to God and Man. Love is indeed Heaven upon Earth; since Heaven above would not be Heaven without it: For where there is not Love; there is Fear: But perfect Love casts out Fear. Love is above all; and when it prevails in us all, we shall all be Lovely, and in Love with God and one with another.”
“It is certain that the most natural and human government is that of consent, for that binds freely, ... when men hold their liberty by true obedience to rules of their own making.”
“Between a Man and his Wife nothing ought to rule but Love. Believe nothing against another but on good authority; and never report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to some other to conceal it.”
“Friendship is the union of spirits, a marriage of hearts, and the bond thereof virtue”
Source: Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims
