Fortune, the great commandress of the world,
Hath divers ways to advance her followers:
To some she read more

Fortune, the great commandress of the world,
Hath divers ways to advance her followers:
To some she gives honor without deserving;
To other some, deserving without honor;
Some wit, some wealth,--and some, wit without wealth;
Some wealth without wit; some nor wit nor wealth.

The day of fortune is like a harvest day,
We must be busy when the corn is ripe.
read more

The day of fortune is like a harvest day,
We must be busy when the corn is ripe.
[Ger., Ein tag der Gunst ist wie ein Tag der Ernte,
Man muss geschaftig sein sobald sie reift.]

Fortune is the rod of the weak, and the staff of the brave.

Fortune is the rod of the weak, and the staff of the brave.

Let fortune empty her whole quiver on me.
I have a soul that, like an ample shield,
read more

Let fortune empty her whole quiver on me.
I have a soul that, like an ample shield,
Can take in all, and verge enough for more.

That conceit, elegantly expressed by the Emperor Charles V., in
his instructions to the King, his son, "that fortune read more

That conceit, elegantly expressed by the Emperor Charles V., in
his instructions to the King, his son, "that fortune hath
somewhat the nature of a woman, that if she be too much wooed she
is the farther off."

Neuer thinke you fortune can beare the sway,
Where Virtue's force, can cause her to obay.

Neuer thinke you fortune can beare the sway,
Where Virtue's force, can cause her to obay.

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a read more

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

It is a madness to make fortune the mistress of events, because in herself she is nothing, but is ruled read more

It is a madness to make fortune the mistress of events, because in herself she is nothing, but is ruled by prudence.

One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of read more

One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.