John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 57
| William Shakespeare. (1564–1616) (continued) |
| 587 |
| The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. |
| Love’s Labour ’s Lost. Act v. Sc. 2. |
| 588 |
| But earthlier happy is the rose distill’d Than that which withering on the virgin thorn 1 Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1. |
| 589 |
| For aught that I could ever read, 2 Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1. |
| 590 |
| O, hell! to choose love by another’s eyes. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1. |
| 591 |
| Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That in a spleen unfolds both heaven and earth, And ere a man hath power to say, “Behold!” The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1. |
| 592 |
| Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1. |
| 593 |
| Masters, spread yourselves. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 594 |
| This is Ercles’ vein. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 595 |
| I ’ll speak in a monstrous little voice. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 596 |
| I am slow of study. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 597 |
| That would hang us, every mother’s son. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 598 |
| I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you, an ’t were any nightingale. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 599 |
| A proper man, as one shall see in a summer’s day. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 600 |
| The human mortals. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act ii. Sc. 1. 3 |
| 601 |
| The rude sea grew civil at her song, And certain stars shot madly from their spheres To hear the sea-maid’s music. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act ii. Sc. 1. |
| Note 1. Maidens withering on the stalk.—William Wordsworth: Personal Talk, stanza 1. [back] |
| Note 2. ”Ever I could read,”—Dyce, Knight, Singer, and White. [back] |
| Note 3. Act ii. sc. 2 in Singer and Knight. [back] |