Portrait of Cervantes

Cervantes

Don Quixote

Early Modern influential 114 sayings

Sayings by Cervantes

For good and evil, life and death, and all things, are in the power of the tongue.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 38
General Unverifiable

Fear has many eyes and can see things underground.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 15
General Unverifiable

When a man is bound to follow a certain road, he must either do so or die in the attempt.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 20
General Unverifiable

The devil, in hell, is a gentleman.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 47
General Unverifiable

Good men are not in need of laws, but bad men are.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 43
General Unverifiable

The man who is prudent and discreet is more formidable than the man who is bold and rash.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 13
General Unverifiable

It is not the business of honest men to use force, but to use reason.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 21
General Unverifiable

The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 47
General Confirmed

To be prepared is half the victory.

Approx. 1600s — Attributed, common paraphrase of his themes.
General Unverifiable

Too much sanity may be madness — and the maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 25 (often paraphrased, this is a common interpretation)
General Unverifiable

The man who can govern a woman must be able to govern a kingdom.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 5
General Unverifiable

One man may be born to good luck, but all men are born to toil.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 4
General Unverifiable

All sorrows are less with bread.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 13
General Unverifiable

The greatest beauty is that of an unadorned mind.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 14
General Unverifiable

Facts are the enemy of truth.

Approx. 1600s — Attributed, often seen as a Don Quixote-esque sentiment rather than a direct quote.
General Unverifiable

Where there's music, there can be no evil.

1605 — Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 28
General Unverifiable

The man who is good for nothing is fit for nothing.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 5
General Unverifiable

To talk well and eloquently is a very good art, but that of knowing when to stop is better.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 43
General Unverifiable

It is always a sign of a bad cause when the agents are afraid.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 27
General Unverifiable

Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn.

1615 — Don Quixote, Part II, Chapter 43
General Unverifiable
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