virtue (n.)
- advantageousness
- affection
- agreeableness
- amperage
- arete
- asset
- attribute
- auspiciousness
- authority
- beef
- benevolence
- benignity
- blamelessness
- boldness
- braveness
- bravery
- caliber
- character
- characteristic
- charge
- charisma
- chasteness
- chastity
- chivalry
- class
- cleanliness
- cleanness
- clout
- cogency
- compulsion
- courage
- courageousness
- credit
- decency
- desert
- dint
- drive
- duress
- effect
- effectiveness
- effectuality
- efficacy
- energy
- erectness
- excellence
- excellency
- expedience
- fairness
- favorableness
- fealty
- feature
- fidelity
- fineness
- force
- forcefulness
- gallantry
- goodness
- grace
- healthiness
- helpfulness
- heroism
- high-mindedness
- honesty
- honor
- honorableness
- immaculateness
- influence
- innocence
- integrity
- intrepidity
- justice
- justness
- kindness
- knightliness
- loyalty
- mana
- manfulness
- manhood
- manliness
- mark
- merit
- might
- mightiness
- morale
- morality
- morals
- moxie
- niceness
- nobility
- perfection
- piety
- pizzazz
- pleasantness
- poop
- potence
- potency
- potentiality
- power
- powerfulness
- prepotency
- principles
- probity
- productiveness
- productivity
- profitableness
- property
- prowess
- puissance
- pull
- punch
- pureness
- purity
- push
- quality
- rectitude
- reputability
- respectability
- righteousness
- rightness
- savor
- sinew
- skillfulness
- soundness
- spotlessness
- stalwartness
- stature
- steam
- stoutheartedness
- stoutness
- strength
- superiority
- superpower
- trait
- uprightness
- usefulness
- valiance
- valiancy
- validity
- valor
- valorousness
- value
- vehemence
- vigor
- vim
- virginity
- virility
- virtuousness
- virulence
- vitality
- wattage
- weight
- whiteness
- wholeness
- worth
- worthiness
Enflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue; stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave men and worthy patriots, dear to God, and famous to all ages.
And upon all that are lovers of virtue, and dare trust in his Providence, and be quiet and go a-angling.
Know then this truth (enough for man to know),—
"Virtue alone is happiness below."
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can
Becomes his captain's captain; and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain which darkens him.
O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellions hell,
If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax,
And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shame
When the compulsive ardour gives the charge,
Since frost itself as actively doth burn,
And reason panders will.
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat,
Of habits devil, is angel yet in this.
Blushing is the colour of virtue.
Once he saw a youth blushing, and addressed him, "Courage, my boy! that is the complexion of virtue."
Virtue could see to do what virtue would
By her own radiant light, though sun and moon
Were in the flat sea sunk. And Wisdom's self
Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude,
Where with her best nurse Contemplation
She plumes her feathers and lets grow her wings,
That in the various bustle of resort
Were all-to ruffled, and sometimes impair'd.
He that has light within his own clear breast
May sit i' th' centre and enjoy bright day;
But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts
Benighted walks under the midday sun.
Successful and fortunate crime is called virtue.
If he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.
Or if Virtue feeble were,
Heav'n itself would stoop to her.
Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold,
And almost every vice,—almighty gold.
There is, however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue.
I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat.
Some must be great. Great offices will have
Great talents. And God gives to every man
The virtue, temper, understanding, taste,
That lifts him into life, and lets him fall
Just in the niche he was ordain'd to fill.
I hear you reproach, "But delay was best,
For their end was a crime." Oh, a crime will do
As well, I reply, to serve for a test
As a virtue golden through and through,
Sufficient to vindicate itself
And prove its worth at a moment's view!
. . . . .
Let a man contend to the uttermost
For his life's set prize, be it what it will!
The counter our lovers staked was lost
As surely as if it were lawful coin;
And the sin I impute to each frustrate ghost
Is—the unlit lamp and the ungirt loin,
Though the end in sight was a vice, I say.
'Cause grace and virtue are within
Prohibited degrees of kin;
And therefore no true saint allows
They shall be suffer'd to espouse.
She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, . . . or internal difficulties.
There is a method in man's wickedness,—
It grows up by degrees.
Now let us thank the Eternal Power: convinced
That Heaven but tries our virtue by affliction,—
That oft the cloud which wraps the present hour
Serves but to brighten all our future days.
Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.
Humility is a virtue all preach, none practise; and yet everybody is content to hear.
Have in readiness this saying of Solon, "But we will not give up our virtue in exchange for their wealth."
Abash'd the devil stood,
And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Virtue in her shape how lovely.
Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful.
Doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant that it will prove to be, like virtue, a reward to itself.
Virtue is like a rich stone,—best plain set.
Virtue is like precious odours,—most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed.
That virtue was sufficient of herself for happiness.
The chief good he has defined to be the exercise of virtue in a perfect life.
The chariest maid is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her beauty to the moon:
Virtue itself'scapes not calumnious strokes:
The canker galls the infants of the spring
Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blastments are most imminent.
O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give,
Nor aught so good but strain'd from that fair use
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;
And vice sometimes by action dignified.
He left a corsair's name to other times,
Link'd with one virtue and a thousand crimes.
And upon all that are lovers of virtue, and dare trust in his Providence, and be quiet and go a-angling.
That virtue only makes our bliss below,
And all our knowledge is ourselves to know.
Men of most renowned virtue have sometimes by transgressing most truly kept the law.
Underneath this stone doth lie
As much beauty as could die;
Which in life did harbour give
To more virtue than doth live.
The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.
Your If is the only peacemaker; much virtue in If.
'T is but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through.
Nobility is the one only virtue.
'T is all men's office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of sorrow,
But no man's virtue nor sufficiency
To be so moral when he shall endure
The like himself.
Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold,
And almost every vice,—almighty gold.
The spiritual virtue of a sacrament is like light,—although it passes among the impure, it is not polluted.
You will find angling to be like the virtue of humility, which has a calmness of spirit and a world of other blessings attending upon it.
To maken vertue of necessite.
Make a virtue of necessity.
Others made a virtue of necessity.
He used to define justice as "a virtue of the soul distributing that which each person deserved."
That virtue only makes our bliss below,
And all our knowledge is ourselves to know.
Pygmies are pygmies still, though percht on Alps;
And pyramids are pyramids in vales.
Each man makes his own stature, builds himself.
Virtue alone outbuilds the Pyramids;
Her monuments shall last when Egypt's fall.
Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world.
An elegant sufficiency, content,
Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books,
Ease and alternate labour, useful life,
Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven!
She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, . . . or internal difficulties.
If there be no nobility of descent, all the more indispensable is it that there should be nobility of ascent,—a character in them that bear rule so fine and high and pure that as men come within the circle of its influence they involuntarily pay homage to that which is the one pre-eminent distinction, the royalty of virtue.
One ought to seek out virtue for its own sake, without being influenced by fear or hope, or by any external influence. Moreover, that in that does happiness consist.
Virtue she finds too painful an endeavour,
Content to dwell in decencies forever.
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.
There is no vice so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue in his outward parts.
Exceeding fair she was not; and yet fair
In that she never studied to be fairer
Than Nature made her; beauty cost her nothing,
Her virtues were so rare.
For it so falls out
That what we have we prize not to the worth
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack the value; then we find
The virtue that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours.
The firste vertue, sone, if thou wilt lere,
Is to restreine and kepen wel thy tonge.
For it so falls out
That what we have we prize not to the worth
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack the value; then we find
The virtue that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours.
And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.
He left a corsair's name to other times,
Link'd with one virtue and a thousand crimes.
I find that the best virtue I have has in it some tincture of vice.
To Berkeley every virtue under heaven.
O, now, for ever
Farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content!
Farewell the plumed troop and the big wars
That make ambition virtue! O, farewell!
Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
And, O you mortal engines, whose rude throats
The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit,
Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone!
Souls made of fire, and children of the sun,
With whom revenge is virtue.
