Who said “It is the nature of men having escaped one extreme, which by force they were constrained…”?

Verified

Sir Walter Raleigh. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceThe Cabinet Council (published 1658), Chapter 25

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“It is the nature of men having escaped one extreme, which by force they were constrained long to endure, to run headlong into the other extreme, forgetting that virtue doth always consist in the mean.”
VerifiedThe Cabinet Council (published 1658), Chapter 25 · evidenceExtremes and Extremists

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: The Cabinet Council (published 1658), Chapter 25.

APA

Raleigh, S. W. (n.d.). It is the nature of men having escaped one extreme, which by force they were constrained long to endure, to run headlong into the other extreme, forgetting that virtue doth always consist in the mean. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15642-it-is-the-nature-of-men-having-escaped/

MLA

Raleigh, Sir Walter. “It is the nature of men having escaped one extreme, which by force they were constrained long to endure, to run headlong into the other extreme, forgetting that virtue doth always consist in the mean.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15642-it-is-the-nature-of-men-having-escaped/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Raleigh, Sir Walter. “It is the nature of men having escaped one extreme, which by force they were constrained long to endure, to run headlong into the other extreme, forgetting that virtue doth always consist in the mean.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15642-it-is-the-nature-of-men-having-escaped/.