101 Quotes by John Selden

Gentelmen heve ever been more temperate in their religion than common people, as having more reason.

Thou little thinkest what a little foolery governs the world.

Never king dropped out of the clouds.

The law against witches does not prove there be any; but it punishes the malice of those people that use such means to take away men's lives.

Fine wits destroy themselves with their own plots, in meddling with great affairs of state.

The House of Commons is called the Lower House, in twenty Acts of Parliament; but what are twenty Acts of Parliament amongst Friends?

Take a straw and throw it up into the air, you may see by that which way the wind is.

Ceremony keeps up things: 'tis like a penny glass to a rich spirit, or some excellent water; without it the water were spilt, and the spirit lost.

Equity is a roguish thing. For Law we have a measure, know what to trust to; Equity is according to the conscience of him that is Chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is Equity. 'T is all one as if they should make the standard for the measure we call a "foot" a Chancellor's foot; what an uncertain measure would this be! One Chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an indifferent foot. 'T is the same thing in the Chancellor's conscience.