W. S. Gilbert Quotes - Page 3

The privilege and pleasure That we treasure beyond measure Is to run on little errands for the Ministers of State.

A man is but an ass Who fights in a cuirass

Utopia's quite another land; In her enterprising movements, She is England--with improvements

When every blessed thing you have is made of silver, or of gold, you long for simple pewter.

When you are lying awake with a dismal headache, and repose is tabooed by anxiety, I conceive you may use any language you choose to indulge in without impropriety.

I often think it's comical How Nature always does contrive That every boy and every gal That's born into the world alive Is either a little Liberal Or else a little Conservative!

Ah, pray no mistake, We are not shy; We're very wide awake The Moon and I.

Darwinian man, though well-behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved.

A policeman's lot is not a happy one

He led his regiment from behind. He found it less exciting.

Love, unrequited, robs me of my rest: Love, hopeless love, my ardent soul encumbers: Love, nightmare-like, lies heavy on my chest, And weaves itself into my midnight slumbers!

Posterity will know as little of me as I know of posterity.

There's a fascination frantic in a ruin that's romantic.

Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion must excite your languid spleen, An attachment a la Plato for a bashful young potato, or a not-too-French French bean!

So I fell in love with a rich attorney's Elderly ugly daughter.

After many unhappy experiments in the direction of an ideal Republic, it was found that what may be described as a Despotism tempered by Dynamite provides, on the whole, the most satisfactory description of ruler - an autocrat who dares not abuse his autocratic power.

I am a child of Nature, and take after my mother.

And that singular anomaly, the lady novelist-- I don't think she'd be missed--I'm sure she'd not be missed!

I see no objection to stoutness, in moderation.

Spurn not the nobly born with love affected; nor treat with virtuous scorn the well connected.

The Law is the true embodiment of everything that's excellent; it has no kind of fault or flaw and I, my Lords, embody the Law.

poverty is obsolete and hunger is abolished

Bless your heart, they don't mind--they're exceedingly kind-- They don't blame you--as long as you're funny!

When the enterprising burglar isn't burgling; When the cut-throat isn't occupied in crime; He loves to hear the little brook a-gurgling; And listen to the merry village chime.

There's fish in the sea, no doubt of it, As good as ever came out of it.