John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
3101 Tom Brown 1663-1704 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 3101 |
| AUTHOR: | Tom Brown (1663–1704) |
| QUOTATION: | To treat a poor wretch with a bottle of Burgundy, and fill his snuff-box, is like giving a pair of laced ruffles to a man that has never a shirt on his back. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Laconics. |
| Note 1. Like sending them ruffles, when wanting a shirt.—Sorbienne (1610–1670). Oliver Goldsmith: The Haunch of Venison. [back] |