Hugo Grotius Quotations

Not to know certain things is a great part of wisdom

Tis long ere time can mitigate your grief; To wisdom fly, she quickly brings relief.

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom.

I have spent my life laboriously doing nothing.

Even God cannot make two times two not make four.

Liberty is the power that we have over ourselves.

I saw in the whole Christian world a license of fighting at which even barbarous nations might blush. Wars were begun on trifling pretexts or none at all, and carried on without any reference of law, Divine or human.

By understanding many things, I have accomplished nothing.

A state is a perfect body of free men, united together to enjoy common rights and advantages.

Men rush to arms for slight causes, or no cause at all, and once taken up there is no longer any respect for law, divine or human.

A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason