16th century

Explore 285 quotes from the 16th century

There is no land unhabitable nor sea innavigable.

Robert Thorne

More information about this quote

Topic

Man and nature The earth The world

Speaker

Robert Thorne

Medium

Letter

Language

English

Time

1589 1580s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Thorne, Robert. Letter to Dr. Ley. c. 1527.

Current Citation

Thorne, Robert. Quoted in Voyages and Discoveries: The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, by Richard Hakluyt. Penguin Books, 1972.

To weep is to make less the depth of grief.

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3

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More information about this quote

Topic

Crying Grief

Speaker

Richard Plantagenet

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry VI, Part 3

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1595 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry the Sixth, Part 3. London: Thomas Millington, 1595, act 2, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Third Part of Henry the Sixth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 1.

Who shoots at the mid-day sun, though he be sure he shall never hit the mark; yet as sure he is he shall shoot higher than who aims but at a bush.

Philip Sidney

More information about this quote

Topic

Thinking big Goals

Author

Philip Sidney

Source

Arcadia

Medium

Novel

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1593 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Sidney, Philip. The New Arcadia. London, 1590.

Current Citation

Sidney, Philip. "The New Arcadia." Sir Philip Sidney: The Major Works, edited by Katherine Duncan-Jones. Oxford University Press, 2009.

The saying is true: “The empty vessel makes the greatest sound.”

William Shakespeare

Henry V

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Topic

Talking too much

Speaker

Boy

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry V

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1599 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry V. The Lord Chamberlain's Men, c. 1599, The Curtain, Shoreditch, London, England, UK, act 4, sc. 4.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Henry the Fifth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 4, sc. 4.

I count religion but a childish toy, and hold there is no sin but ignorance.

Christopher Marlowe

The Jew of Malta

More information about this quote

Topic

Religion

Speaker

Machiavel

Author

Christopher Marlowe

Source

The Jew of Malta

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1593 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Marlowe, Christopher. The Jew of Malta. London, c. 1633, prologue.

Current Citation

Marlowe, Christopher. "The Jew of Malta." Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays. Penguin Classics, 2004, prologue.

Alteration though it be from worse to better hath in it inconveniences, and those weighty.

Richard Hooker

More information about this quote

Topic

Difficulty of change Change

Author

Richard Hooker

Source

Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity

Language

English

Time

1593 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Hooker, Richard. Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. 1593, bk. 4, ch. 14, sect. 1.

Current Citation

Hooker, Richard. The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity In Modern English, edited by Bradford Littlejohn. Vol. 1, The Davenant Press, 2019, bk. 4, ch. 14, sect. 1.

This age thinks better of a gilded fool
Than of a threadbare saint in wisdom's school.

Thomas Dekker

Old Fortunatus

More information about this quote

Topic

What the world values

Speaker

Fortunatus

Author

Thomas Dekker

Source

Old Fortunatus

Medium

Play

Language

English

Time

1599 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Dekker, Thomas. The Pleasant Comedie of Old Fortunatus. 1599, Richmond Palace, England, UK, act 1, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Dekker, Thomas. Old Fortunatus, edited by David McInnis. Manchester University Press, 2019, act 1, sc. 1.

He that will write well in any tongue, must follow this counsel of Aristotle, to speak as the common people do, to think as the wise men do; and so should every man understand him, and the judgement of the wise man allow him.

Roger Ascham

More information about this quote

Topic

Writing

Author

Roger Ascham

Source

Toxophilus

Statement Type

Writing advice

Language

English

Time

1545 1540s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Ascham, Roger. "To All Gentlemen and Yeoman of England." Toxophilus. London: Murray, 1545.

With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies!
How silently, and with how wan a face!

Philip Sidney

Astrophel and Stella

More information about this quote

Topic

The moon

Author

Philip Sidney

Source

Astrophel and Stella

Medium

Sonnet Poem

Language

English

Time

1591 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Sidney, Philip. Astrophel and Stella. London: Thomas Newman, 1591, sonnet 31.

Current Citation

Sidney, Philip. "Astrophil and Stella." Sir Philip Sidney: The Major Works, edited by Katherine Duncan-Jones. Oxford University Press, 2009, sonnet 31.

I will make it felony to drink small beer.

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 2

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More information about this quote

Topic

Beer Alcohol Drinking alcohol

Speaker

Cade

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry VI, Part 2

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1594 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry VI, Part 2. London: Thomas Millington, 1594, act 4, sc. 2.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Second Part of Henry the Sixth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 4, sc. 2.

My son-and what's a son? A thing begot
Within a pair of minutes, thereabout,
A lump bred up in darkness.

Thomas Kyd

More information about this quote

Topic

Parents and children

Speaker

Don Hieronimo

Author

Thomas Kyd

Source

The Spanish Tragedy

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1592 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy. 1592, The Rose, London, England, UK, act 3, sc. 11.

Current Citation

Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy, edited by Michael Neill. W. W. Norton & Company, 2013, act 3, sc. 11.

How comes it
That thou art then estranged from thyself?

William Shakespeare

The Comedy of Errors

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Topic

Alienation from oneself Alienation

Speaker

Adriana

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Comedy of Errors

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1594 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. The Comedy of Errors. 1594, Gray's Inn Hall, London, England, UK, act 2, sc. 2.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Comedy of Errors." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 2.

Of all the heavenly gifts that mortal men commend,
What trusty treasure in the world can countervail a friend?

Nicholas Grimald

More information about this quote

Topic

Value of friendship Friendship Friends

Author

Nicholas Grimald

Source

Of Friendship

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1557 1550s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Grimald, Nicholas. Of Friendship. c. 1557.

The loss of wealth is loss of dirt,
As sages in all times assert;
The happy man's without a shirt.

John Heywood

Be Merry Friends

More information about this quote

Topic

Freedom in poverty

Author

John Heywood

Source

Be Merry Friends

Language

English

Time

1580 1580s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Heywood, John. Be Merry Friends. c. 1580.

Unbidden guests
Are often welcomest when they are gone.

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 1

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Topic

Guests and visitors

Speaker

Bedford

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry VI, Part 1

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1592 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry VI, Part 1. Lord Strange's Men, 1592, Rose Theatre, London, England, UK, act 2, sc. 3.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The First Part of Henry the Sixth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 3.

I know my soul hath power to know all things,
Yet is she blind and ignorant in all:
I know I'm one of Nature's little kings,
Yet to the least and vilest things am thrall.

Sir John Davies

Of Human Knowledge

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More information about this quote

Topic

Duality of man

Author

Sir John Davies

Source

Of Human Knowledge

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1599 1590s 16th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Davies, John, Sir. Nosce Teipsum. 1599, st. 44.

Perspective is the bridle and rudder of painting.

Leonardo da Vinci

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More information about this quote

Topic

Painting

Author

Leonardo da Vinci

Source

Journals of Leonardo da Vinci

Medium

Personal journal

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Italian

Time

1519 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Italian Manuscripts, Bibliotheque Nationale. 1519, MS 2038, Bib. Nat. 13 r.

Current Citation

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Whoever is responsible for another's becoming powerful ruins himself.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince

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Topic

Power

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

The Prince

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1513 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Il Principe [The Prince]. Rome: Antonio Blado d'Asola, 1532.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince, translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.

William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Topic

Power of love Love

Speaker

Helena

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1599 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Lord Chamberlain's Men, c. 1599, The Theatre, London, England, UK, act 1, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act. 1, sc. 1.

Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least.

Leonardo da Vinci

Quoted in Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, by Giorgio Vasari

More information about this quote

Topic

Success Work Leisure

Speaker

Leonardo da Vinci

Author

Giorgio Vasari

Source

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects

Genre

Biography

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

Italian

Time

1568 1560s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Vasari, Giorgio. Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori [The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects]. Vol 2, Florence: Giunti, 1568.

Current Citation

Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Artists, translated by George Bull. Vol. 1, Penguin Classics, 1988.