Elizabeth I Quotes - Page 2

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

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

A good face is the best letter of recommendation.

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

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

The true sin against the Holy Ghost is ingratitude.

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

[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.

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.

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

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

I will never be by violence constrained to do anything.

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

The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy.

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.

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

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

God forgive you, but I never can.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.