Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself.

— Elizabeth I

Monarchs ought to put to death the authors and instigators of war, as their sworn enemies and as dangers to their states.

— Elizabeth I

My care is like my shadow in the sun, Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done.

— Elizabeth I

My mortal foe can no ways wish me a greater harm than England's hate neither should death be less welcome unto me than such a mishap betide me.

— Elizabeth I

(Response to King Erik XIV of Sweden's proposal of marriage:)"[W]while we perceive ... the zeal and love of your mind towards us is not diminished, yet in part we are grieved that we cannot gratify your Serene Highness with the same kind of affection. And that indeed does not happen because we doubt in any way of your love and honor, but, as often we have testified both in words and writing, that we have never yet conceived a feeling of that kind of affection towards anyone. We therefore beg your Serene Highness again and again that you be pleased to set a limit to your love, that it advance not beyond the laws of friendship for the present nor disregard them in the future. ... We certainly think that if God ever direct our hearts to consideration of marriage we shall never accept or choose any absent husband how powerful and wealthy a Prince soever. But that we are not to give you an answer until we have seen your person is so far from the thing itself that we never even considered such a thing. I have always given both to your brother ... and also to your ambassador likewise the same answer with scarcely any variation of the words, that we do not conceive in our heart to take a husband but highly commend this single life, and hope that your Serene Highness will no longer spend time in waiting for us.

— Elizabeth I

The past can not be cured.

— Elizabeth I

The past cannot be cured.

— Elizabeth I

There is one thing higher than Royalty: and that is religion, which causes us to leave the world, and seek God.

— Elizabeth I

The use of sea and air is common to all; neither can a title to the ocean belong to any people or private persons, inasmuch as neither nature nor public use and custom permit any possession thereof.

— Elizabeth I

Where might is mixed with wit, there is too good an accord in a government.

— Elizabeth I