Francis I Quotes

My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied.

Better to die ten thousand deaths than wound my honor.

There is nothing left to me but honor and my life which is saved.

You can be deprived of your money, your job and your home by someone else, but remember that no one can ever take away your honor.

You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit.

Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life.

Real nobility is based on scorn, courage, and profound indifference.

Honor does not have to be defended.

Honor has not to be won; it must only not be lost.

I would rather go to any extreme than suffer anything that is unworthy of my reputation, or of that of my crown.

Honor is but an empty bubble.

You shall hear a good account of me or of my death.

Honor is like a match, you can only use it once.

It is any day better to stand erect with a broken and bandaged head then to crawl on one's belly, in order to be able to save one's head.

There is but one pride pardonable; that of being above doing a base or dishonorable action.

Smears are not only to be expected but fought. Honor is to be earned, not bought.

The only shame is to have none.

I can be forced to live without happiness, but I will never consent to live without honor.

Union is a delectable thing, and so is wealth, and so is life, but they may all cost too much, if they cost honour.

To be without silver is better than to be without honor.

I hsve been called a traitor many times in my career, and it is a badge that I wear with great honor.

A man who permits his honor to be taken, permits his life to be taken.

Death with honor is better than life... life with dishonor.

You cannot throw words like heroism and sacrifice and nobility and honor away without abandoning the qualities they express.

When the sacredness of one's word is matched in the attributes of his character throughout, all that constitutes a man, then we find that there is something in a man's life greater than his occupation or his achievements; grander than acquisition or wealth; higher than genius; more enduring than fame.