C.N. Douglas, comp. Forty Thousand Quotations: Prose and Poetical. 1917.
Tacitus
A bitter jest, when it comes too near the truth, leaves a sharp sting behind it.
A desire to resist oppression is implanted in the nature of man.
All inconsiderate enterprises are impetuous at first, but soon languish.
All those things that are now held to be of the greatest antiquity were at one time new; what we to-day hold up by example will rank hereafter as precedent.
An eminent reputation is as dangerous as a bad one.
An honorable death is better than a dishonorable life.
Bodies are slow of growth, but are rapid in their dissolution.
Conspicuous by his absence.
Crime succeeds by sudden despatch; honest counsels gain vigor by delay.
Even the bravest men are frightened by sudden terrors.
Every great example of punishment has in it some injustice; but the suffering individual is compensated by the public good.
Falsehood avails itself of haste and uncertainty.
Flatterers are the worst kind of enemies.
Flattery labors under the odious charge of servility.
Forethought and prudence are the proper qualities of a leader.
If we must fall, we should boldly meet the danger.
In seasons of tumult and discord bad men have most power; mental and moral excellence require peace and quietness.
It is common to esteem most what is most unknown.
It is of eloquence as of a flame; it requires matter to feed it, motion to excite it, and it brightens as it burns.
It is the nature of the human disposition to hate him whom you have injured.
Liberty is given by nature even to mute animals.
Necessity reforms the poor, and satiety reforms the rich.
Neglected, calumny soon expires; show that you are hurt, and you give it the appearance of truth.
Neither above nor below his business.
Not because of any extraordinary talents did he succeed, but because he had a capacity on a level for business and not above it.
People flatter us because they can depend upon our credulity.
Power acquired by guilt was never used for a good purpose.
Prosperity is the touchstone of virtue; for it is less difficult to bear misfortunes than to remain uncorrupted by pleasure.
Rumor does not always err; it sometimes even elects a man.
The brave and bold persist even against fortune; the timid and cowardly rush to despair through fear alone.
The gods are on the side of the stronger.
The hatred of persons related to each other is the most violent.
The love of fame is the last weakness which even the wise resign.
The lust of dominion burns with a flame so fierce as to overpower all other affections of the human breast.
The mob have neither judgment nor principle,—ready to bawl at night for the reverse of what they desired in the morning.
The more corrupt the state, the more laws.
The most seditious is the most cowardly.
The repose of nations cannot be secure without arms, armies cannot be maintained without pay, nor can the pay be produced except by taxes.
There are odious virtues; such as inflexible severity, and an integrity that accepts of no favor.
There were in him candor and generosity, which, unless tempered by due moderation, lead to ruin.
To resist violence is implanted in the nature of man.
Truth is strengthened by observation and time, pretences by haste and uncertainty.
Valor is the contempt of death and pain.
We accomplish more by prudence than by force.
When men are full of envy they disparage everything, whether it be good or bad.
When men of talents are punished, authority is strengthened.
When the state is most corrupt, then the laws are most multiplied.