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

591 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 John Bartlett

 
NUMBER:591
AUTHOR:William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
QUOTATION: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.
ATTRIBUTION:A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act i. Sc. 1.  [text]
WORKS:William Shakespeare Collection.