John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
1149 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 1149 |
| AUTHOR: | William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
| QUOTATION: | Men’s evil manners live in brass; their virtues We write in water. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | King Henry VIII. Act iv. Sc. 2. [text] |
| WORKS: | William Shakespeare Collection. |
| Note 1. For men use, if they have an evil tourne, to write it in marble; and whoso doth us a good tourne we write it in duste.—Sir Thomas More: Richard III. and his miserable End. All your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in marble. Beaumont and Fletcher: Philaster, act v. sc. 3. L’injure se grave en métal; et le bienfait s’escrit en l’onde. (An injury graves itself in metal, but a benefit writes itself in water.) Jean Bertaut. Circa 1611. [back] |