Henry Newbolt on honor

And it’s not for the sake of a ribboned coat,
Or the selfish hope of a season’s fame,
But his Captain’s hand on his shoulder smote⁠—
“Play up! play up! and play the game!”

There’s a breathless hush in the Close to-night⁠—
Ten to make and the match to win⁠—
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play and the last man in.

It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.

Mark Twain1835–1910

The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.

Ralph Waldo Emerson1803–1882The Conduct of Life (1860), Worship

If I lose mine honour, I lose myself.

William Shakespeare1564–1616Antony and Cleopatra (1600s), Act III, scene 4, line 22.In context