Pietro Aretino Quotes

He who has not been at a tavern knows not what a paradise it is. O holy tavern! O miraculous tavern!
holy, because no carking cares are there, nor weariness, nor pain; and miraculous, because of the spits, which themselves turn round and round!

Poetry is a whim of Nature in her lighter moods; it requires nothing but its own madness and, lacking that, it becomes a soundless cymbal, a belfry without a bell.

Life is a toy made of glass; it appears to be of inestimable price, but in reality it is very cheap.

I am a free man. I do not need to copy Petrarca or Boccaccio. My own genius is enough. Let others worry themselves about style, and so cease to be themselves. Without a master, without a model, without a guide, I go to work and earn my living, my well-being and my fame.

Nothing, it appears to me, is of greater value in a man than the power of judgment; and the man who has it may be compared to a chest filled with books, for he is the son of nature and the father of art.

Anger represents a certain power, when a great mind, prevented from executing its own generous desires, is moved by it.

With a goose-quill and a few sheets of paper, I mock myself of the universe. They say I am the son of a courtesan; it may be so, but I have the heart of a King. I live free, I enjoy myself, I can call myself happy.

Age has a good mind and sorry shanks.

The art of war is like the art of the courtesan; indeed they might be called sisters, since both are slaves of desperation.

Why should the eyes be denied what delights them most?

They merit more praise who know how to suffer misery than those who temper themselves in contentment.

What evil is there in seeing a man possess a woman? Why, the beasts would be more free than we!

I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself.

Learning is the property of those who fear to do disagreeable things.

Love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance, that's why love is so strong. So it can carry you all the way home.

I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies.

I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship.

We are the buffoons of our children.

If you want to annoy your neighbors, tell the truth about them.

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.

Antonia: I meant to tell you, and then forgot: call a spade a spade, and say 'arse', 'prick', 'cunt', and 'fuck', otherwise the only people who'll understand you will be the scholars of the Capranica think tank - you and your 'rose in the ring', your 'obelisk in the arsenal' your 'leek in the garden', your 'bolt in the door', your 'key in the lock', your 'pestle in the mortar', your 'nightingale in the nest', your 'sapling in the ditch', your 'syringe in the flap-valve', your 'sword in the sheath'; and the same goes for 'the stake', 'the crozier', the parsnip', 'the little monkey', 'his thingummy', 'her thingummy', 'the apples', 'the leaves of the mass book', 'that thingy', 'the graceful whatyamacallit', 'that whatsit', 'that doings', 'that latest news', 'the handle', 'the dart', 'that carrot', 'the root' and all the other shit that comes out of your mouth, but there you go, pussyfooting around. Let your yes mean yes, your no, no, and otherwise, just shut it.

Desire is poison at lunch and wormwood at dinner; your bed is a stone, friendship is hateful and your fancy is always fixed on one thing.