John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
198 John Heywood 1497?-1580? John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 198 |
| AUTHOR: | John Heywood (1497?–1580?) |
| QUOTATION: | For when I gave you an inch, you tooke an ell. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. ix. |
| Note 1. Give an inch, he ’ll take an ell.—John Webster: Sir Thomas Wyatt. [back] |