Grocott & Ward, comps. Grocott’s Familiar Quotations, 6th ed. 189-?.
Dear
A man he was to all the country dear.
Goldsmith.—The Deserted Village, Line 141.
Dear lost companions of my tuneful art,
Dear, as the light that visits these sad eyes,
Dear, as the ruddy drops that warm my heart.
Gray.—The Bard, Stanza III. Line 11.
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops,
That visit my sad heart.
Shakespeare.—Julius Cæsar, Act II. Scene 1. (Brutus to Portia.)
Dear as the vital warmth that feeds my life,
Dear as these eyes that weep in fondness o’er thee.
Otway.—Venice Preserved.
Devilish dear, master classic, devilish dear!
Foote.—The Englishman in Paris, Act I. Scene 1.
Dear Tom, this brown jug that now foams with mild ale.
Fawkes.—The Brown Jug, a Song.