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John Selden Biography

John Selden (16 December 1584 – 30 November 1654) was an English jurist, a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law. He was known as a polymath showing true intellectual depth and breadth; John Milton hailed Selden in 1644 as "the chief of learned men reputed in this land."

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John Selden Quotes

There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.

Dance, Dancing, Left, World

Thou little thinkest what a little foolery governs the world.

Atheism, Littles, Thinkest, Thou, World

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

Affair, Destroy, Fine, Plot, States, Wits

Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain.

Intermission, Nothing, Pain, Pleasure

You will want a book which contains not man's thoughts, but God's - not a book that may amuse you, but a book that can save you - not even a book that can instruct you, but a book on which you can venture an eternity - not only a book which can give relief to your spirit, but redemption to your soul - a book which contains salvation, and conveys it to you, one which shall at once be the Saviour's book and the sinner's.

Amuse, Bible, Book, Men, Relief, Soul

All things are God's already; we can give him no right, by consecrating any, that he had not before, only we set it apart to his service - just as a gardener brings his master a basket of apricots, and presents them; his lord thanks him, and perhaps gives him something for his pains, and yet the apricots were as much his lord's before as now.

Apricots, Consecrating, Gives, Giving, Lord, Pain

Of all the actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all the actions of our lives, 'tis the most meddled with by other people.

Concern, Life, Marriage, Men, Wedding

We look after religion as the butcher did after his knife, when he had it in his mouth.

Knife, Knives, Look, Looks, Religion

In a troubled state we must do as in foul weather upon a river, not think to cut directly through, for the boat may be filled with water; but rise and fall as the waves do, and give way as much as we conveniently can.

Cut, Cutting, Fall, State, Thinking

Humility is a virtue all men preach, none practice, and yet everybody is content to hear. The master thinks it good doctrine for his servants, the laity for the clergy, and the clergy for the laity.

Content, Humility, Laity, Men, Preach, Thinking

Wise people say nothing in dangerous times.

Nothing, People, Time, Times, Wise

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

Air, May, See, Straw, Way, Wind

No man is the wiser for his learning

Learning, Man, Men, Wiser

He that hath a scrupulous conscience is like a horse that is not well weighed; he starts at every bird that flies out of the hedge.

Bird, Flies, Horse, Scrupulous, Starts, Wells

They that are against superstition oftentimes run into it of the wrong side. If I wear all colors but black, then I am superstitious in not wearing black.

Against, Black, Color, Running, Wearing Black, Wrong

A king is a thing men have made for their own sakes, for quietness sake. Just as in a family one man is appointed to buy the meat.

Kings, Man, Meat, Men, Quietness

Those that govern most make least noise.

Govern, Make, Noise

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.

Glasses, Pennies, Penny, Spilt, Water

If the prisoner should ask the judge whether he would be content to be hanged, were he in his case, he would answer no. Then, says the prisoner, do as you would be done to.

Answer, Compassion, Done, Judging, Says, Would Be

A glorious Church is like a magnificent feast; there is all the variety that may be, but every one chooses out a dish or two that he likes, and lets the rest alone: how glorious soever the Church is, every one chooses out of it his own religion, by which he governs himself, and lets the rest alone.

Church, Glorious, Lets, Religion, Rest, Two

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