--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thy books should, like thy friends, not…" description: "\"Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such wherein men may thy judgment see.\" — William Wycherley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg" --- # Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such… ![“Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such wherein men may thy judgment see.” quote by William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg) > “Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such wherein men may thy judgment see.” [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books should be few but discerning, like trusted friends; they reveal one’s judgment and character. **In simple terms:** Select literature that reflects and tests your values. Key Takeaway Quality over quantity in reading companions. Themes literary discernment friendship metaphor judgment character Mood thoughtful reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal libraries - book clubs - educational curricula Key Concepts reading selection moral reflection Practical Applications - guiding reading choices - teaching critical evaluation Questions to Reflect On - What makes a book a 'good friend'? - How does reading shape self‑knowledge? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Choose thy friends like thy books, few but choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/choose-thy-friends-like-thy-books-few-but-choice/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [Make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-ben-saul-ibn-tibbon/make-thy-books-thy-companions-let-thy-cases-and-shelves-be-thy/) Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon > [“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. But not express'd in fancy; rich, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-every-man-thy-ear-but-few-thy-voice-take-each-man-s-censure-but/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-every-man-thine-ear-but-few-thy-voice-take-each-man-s-censure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-thou-art-pained-by-any-external-thing-it-is-not-this-that-disturbs/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [If thy friends tire of thee, remember that it is human to tire of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/if-thy-friends-tire-of-thee-remember-that-it-is-human-to-tire-of/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [“Thy life is not thine own to govern, Danny, for it controls other lives. See how thy friends suffer! Spring to life, Danny, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/thy-life-is-not-thine-own-to-govern-danny-for-it-controls-other-lives/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Thy less friends, thy less enmity; Thy more friends, thy more enmity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/thy-less-friends-thy-less-enmity-thy-more-friends-thy-more-enmity/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [I enjoy male company and I am very lucky to have many friends - men, women, straight and gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-enjoy-male-company-and-i-am-very-lucky-to-have-many-friends-men/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [Men like me take care of there problems as we tend to our kids, were not deadbeats. We take on the world for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/men-like-me-take-care-of-there-problems-as-we-tend-to-our-kids-were/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [O friends, be men; so act that none may feel Ashamed to meet the eyes of other men. Think each one of this children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/o-friends-be-men-so-act-that-none-may-feel-ashamed-to-meet-the-eyes/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“Life is very different when you have a good friend. I've seen people without special friends, close friends. Other men, especially. For some reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/life-is-very-different-when-you-have-a-good-friend-i-ve-seen-people/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [O Friends, be men, and let your hearts be strong And let no warrior in the heat of fight, Do what may bring him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/o-friends-be-men-and-let-your-hearts-be-strong-and-let-no-warrior-in/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I have no hostility towards men. Some of my best friends are men. I married a man, and my father was a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ruckelshaus/i-have-no-hostility-towards-men-some-of-my-best-friends-are-men-i/) [William Ruckelshaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ruckelshaus/) > [That men, in reality, did not have friends in other men. That the fellowship of men, despite its joyous banter, old memories of exaggerated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-joseph/that-men-in-reality-did-not-have-friends-in-other-men-that-the/) [Manu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-joseph/) ## More by William Wycherley > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Poetry in love is no more to be avoided than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poetry-in-love-is-no-more-to-be-avoided-than-jealousy/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Marrying to increase love is like gaming to become rich; alas, you only lose what little stock you had before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/marrying-to-increase-love-is-like-gaming-to-become-rich-alas-you-only/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Conversation augments pleasure and diminishes pain by our having shares in either; for silent woes are greatest, as silent satisfaction leas; since sometimes our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/conversation-augments-pleasure-and-diminishes-pain-by-our-having/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [As wit is too hard for power in council, so power is too hard for wit in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/as-wit-is-too-hard-for-power-in-council-so-power-is-too-hard-for-wit/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [A mistress should be like a little country retreat near the town, not to dwell in constantly, but only for a night and away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/a-mistress-should-be-like-a-little-country-retreat-near-the-town-not/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Go to your business, pleasure, whilst I go to my pleasure, business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/go-to-your-business-pleasure-whilst-i-go-to-my-pleasure-business/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Poets, like friends to whom you are in debt, you hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poets-like-friends-to-whom-you-are-in-debt-you-hate/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [I love to be envied, and would not marry a wife that I alone could love; loving alone is as dull as eating alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/i-love-to-be-envied-and-would-not-marry-a-wife-that-i-alone-could/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Bluster, sputter, question, cavil; but be sure your argument be intricate enough to confound the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/bluster-sputter-question-cavil-but-be-sure-your-argument-be-intricate/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [A good name is seldom got by giving it oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/a-good-name-is-seldom-got-by-giving-it-oneself/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Charity and good-nature give a sanction to the most common actions; and pride and ill-nature make our best virtues despicable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/charity-and-good-nature-give-a-sanction-to-the-most-common-actions/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Good fellowship and friendship are lasting, rational and manly pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/good-fellowship-and-friendship-are-lasting-rational-and-manly/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Grief is so far from retrieving a loss that it makes it greater; but the way to lessen it is by a comparison with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/grief-is-so-far-from-retrieving-a-loss-that-it-makes-it-greater-but/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Your women of honor, as you call 'em , are only chary of their reputations, not their persons, and 'tis scandal they would avoid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/your-women-of-honor-as-you-call-em-are-only-chary-of-their/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) [Explore all 38 William Wycherley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such wherein men may thy judgment see.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Wycherley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-many-be-yet-such-wherein-men/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-many-be-yet-such-wherein-men/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/william-wycherley-16994_books_thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-ma_95715.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thy books should, like thy friends, not many be/Yet such wherein men may thy judgment see.” — William Wycherley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Wycherley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thy books should, like thy friends,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-many-be-yet-such-wherein-men/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/thy-books-should-like-thy-friends-not-many-be-yet-such-wherein-men/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```