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John Lydgate Quotes

d. 1451 England

John Lydgate (c. 1370–c. 1451) was an English poet and translator. He is considered one of the leading English poets of the 15th century, and in his own day was often ranked alongside his master, Geoffrey Chaucer.

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Random John Lydgate quote

18 quotes

Woord is but wynd; leff woord and tak the dede.

All is not golde that outward shewith bright.

All is not golde that shewyth goldishe hewe.

Harde to likke hony out of a marbil stoon,
For ther is nouthir licour nor moisture.

The wheel of Fortune tourneth as a ball;
Sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.

Who lesethe his fredam, in faith! he loseth all.

Sithe of our language he was the lodesterre.

For love is mor than gold or gret richesse;
Gold faileth ofte; love wol abyde.

Trouthe wil out maugre of fals enuye,
Rihtwysnesse may nat ben hid certeyn,
As for a tyme it may been ovirleyn.

There is no rose
Spryngyng in gardeyns, but ther be sum thorn.

For princis ofte, of furious hastynesse,
Wil cachche a quarrel, causeless in sentence,
Ageyn folk absent, thouh ther be non offence.

Off oure language he was the lodesterre.

Comparisons do ofttime great grievance.

For a story which is nat pleynli told,
But constreynyd undir woordes fewe
For lak off trouthe, wher thei be newe or olde,
Men bi report kan nat the mater shewe.

Odyous of olde been comparisonis.

"Ballad of Good Counsel", line 7.

He as a kyng is crowned in Fairie,
With sceptre and suerd, & with his regalie
Shal resorte as lord and souereyne,
Out of Fairye & regne in Breteyne,
And repaire ageyn the Rounde Table.

For hit ys oft seyde by hem that yet lyues
He must nedys go that the deuell dryues.

Misattributed

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: John Lydgate (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.