Saint Augustine Quotes

“There is something in humility which, strangely enough, exalts the heart, and something in pride which debases it.”

“By and by never comes.”

“Let your old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age; that is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without wisdom.”

“The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.”

“The verdict of the world is conclusive.”

“Keep on adding, keep on walking, keep on progressing: do not delay on the road, do not go back, do not deviate.”

“Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue.”

“Nothing conquers except truth and the victory of truth is love.”

“The rich are like beasts of burden, carrying treasure all day, and at the night of death unladen; they carry to their grave only the bruises and marks of their toil.”

“Hear the other side.”

“An apt and true reply was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride. "What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor."”

“In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty.”

“Therefore once for all this short command is given to you. 'Love and do what you will.' If you keep silent, keep silent by love; if you speak, speak by love; if you correct, correct by love; if you pardon, pardon by love: let love be rooted in you, and from the root nothing but good can grow.”

“Better to have fewer wants than greater riches to supply increasing wants.”

“This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.”

“To seek the highest good is to live well.”

“Tolle, lege: take up and read.”

“Free curiosity has greater power to stimulate learning than rigorous coercion. Nevertheless, the free ranging flux of curiosity is channeled by discipline under Your Law.”

“The mind commands the body, and it obeys forthwith; the mind commands itself, and is resisted. The mind commands the hand to be moved, and such readiness is there that the command is scarce to be distinguished from the obedience. Yet the mind is mind, and the hand is body. The mind commands the mind to will, and yet, though it be itself, it obeyeth not. Whence this monstrous thing? and why is it?”

“Punishment, that is the justice for the unjust.”

“Therefore, give to the poor. I beg you, I admonish you, I charge you, I command you to give.”

“It is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection.”

“Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale?... A gang is a group of men... in which the plunder is divided according to an agreed convention. If this villainy... acquires territory, establishes a base, captures cities and subdues people, it then openly arrogates to itself the title of kingdom.”

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.”

“Hope has two lovely daughters, anger and courage.”