WIST Quotations

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, “Proëm” (1839)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Let each man think himself an act of God,
His mind a thought, his life a breath of God;
And let each try, by great thoughts and good deeds,
To shew the most of Heaven he hath in him.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, “Proëm” (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Country Town – Market-place – Noon” [Festus] (1839)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

We live in deeds, not years:
In thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs.
He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Country Town – Market-place – Noon” [Festus] (1839)
(Source)

Often misattributed to Aristotle.

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Country Town – Market-place – Noon” [Lucifer] (1839)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Who never doubted never half believed
Where doubt there truth is — ’tis her shadow

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Country Town – Market-place – Noon” [Lucifer] (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Metropolis – Public Place” [Lucifer] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 17:34:37 +0000

Man is a military animal,
Glories in gunpowder, and loves parade;
Prefers them to all things.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Metropolis – Public Place” [Lucifer] (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Mountain – Sunrise” [Festus] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:46:22 +0000

Men might be better if we better deemed
Of them. The worst way to improve the world
Is to condemn it.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Mountain – Sunrise” [Festus] (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Village Feast – Evening” [Festus] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 12:25:43 +0000

There is a fire-fly in the southern clime
Which shineth only when upon the wing;
So it is with the mind: when once we rest,
We darken.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Village Feast – Evening” [Festus] (1839)
(Source)

Usually paraphrased (earliest source (1872)):

The firefly only shines when on the wing.
So is it with the mind -- when once we rest
We darken.

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Village Feast – Evening” [Student] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:20:35 +0000

Worthy books
Are not companions — they are solitudes:
We lose ourselves in them and all our cares.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Village Feast – Evening” [Student] (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “A Visit” [Festus] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:43:57 +0000

Art is man’s nature; nature is God’s art.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “A Visit” [Festus] (1839)
(Source)

Bailey, Philip James -- Festus, Sc. “The Surface” [Festus] (1839)

Dave — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:42:18 +0000

America! half-brother of the world!
With something good and bad of every land.

Philip James Bailey (1816-1902) English poet, lawyer
Festus, Sc. “The Surface” [Festus] (1839)
(Source)