Reputation is rarely proportioned to virtue.

Reputation is rarely proportioned to virtue.

That man is thought a dangerous knave,
Or zealot plotting crime,
Who for advancement of his kind
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That man is thought a dangerous knave,
Or zealot plotting crime,
Who for advancement of his kind
Is wiser than his time.

How many worthy men have we seen survive their own reputations!

How many worthy men have we seen survive their own reputations!

The worst of me is known, and I can say that I am better than the
reputation I bear.
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The worst of me is known, and I can say that I am better than the
reputation I bear.
[Ger., Das Aergste weiss die Welt von mir, und ich
Kann sagen, ich bin besser als mein Ruf.]

To be pointed out with the finger.

To be pointed out with the finger.

Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without
merit and lost without deserving.

Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without
merit and lost without deserving.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation read more

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

It is easier for a woman to defend her virtue against men than her reputation against women.

It is easier for a woman to defend her virtue against men than her reputation against women.

My dear dear lord,
The purest treasure mortal times afford
Is spotless reputation. That away,
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My dear dear lord,
The purest treasure mortal times afford
Is spotless reputation. That away,
Man are but gilded loam or painted clay.