John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
1589 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 1589 |
| AUTHOR: | William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
| QUOTATION: | Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termagant; it out-herods Herod. |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Hamlet. Act iii. Sc. 2. [text] |
| WORKS: | William Shakespeare Collection. |