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John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.

3100 Tom Brown 1663-1704 John Bartlett

 
NUMBER:3100
AUTHOR:Tom Brown (1663–1704)
QUOTATION:I do not love thee, Doctor Fell,
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this alone I know full well,
I do not love thee, Doctor Fell. 1
ATTRIBUTION:Laconics.
 
Note 1.
A slightly different version is found in Brown’s Works collected and published after his death:—

Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare;
Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te
(I do not love thee, Sabidius, nor can I say why; this only I can say, I do not love thee).—Martial: Epigram i. 33.

Je ne vous aime pas, Hylas;
Je n’en saurois dire la cause,
Je sais seulement une chose;
C’est que je ne vous aime pas.
Bussy: Comte de Rabutin. (1618–1693.) [back]