John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 87
| William Shakespeare. (1564–1616) (continued) |
| villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyves on; for indeed I had the most of them out of prison. There ’s but a shirt and a half in all my company; and the half-shirt is two napkins tacked together and thrown over the shoulders like an herald’s coat without sleeves. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act iv. Sc. 2. |
| 984 |
| Food for powder, food for powder; they ’ll fill a pit as well as better. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act iv. Sc. 2. |
| 985 |
| To the latter end of a fray and the beginning of a feast 1 Fits a dull fighter and a keen guest. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act iv. Sc. 2. |
| 986 |
| I would ’t were bedtime, Hal, and all well. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 1. |
| 987 |
| Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on,—how then? Can honour set to a leg? no: or an arm? no: or take away the grief of a wound? no. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? no. What is honour? a word. What is in that word honour; what is that honour? air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it? he that died o’ Wednesday. Doth he feel it? no. Doth he hear it? no. ’T is insensible, then? yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? no. Why? detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I ’ll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon. And so ends my catechism. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 1. |
| 988 |
| Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| 989 |
| This earth that bears thee dead Bears not alive so stout a gentleman. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| 990 |
| Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave, But not remember’d in thy epitaph! |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| 991 |
| I could have better spared a better man. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| 992 |
| The better part of valour is discretion. 2 |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| 993 |
| Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. |
| King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4. |
| Note 1. See Heywood, Quotation 117. [back] |
| Note 2. It show’d discretion the best part of valour.—Beaumont and Fletcher: A King and no King, act ii. sc. 3. [back] |