Advice given to Dean John William Burgon, (29 November 1847), in response to the question: "Every studious man, in the course of a long and thoughtful life, has had occasion to experience the special value of some one axiom or precept. Would you mind giving me the benefit of such a word of advice?"; quoted in Lives of twelve good men, by John William Burgon, 1888, vol. 1 p. 73.
“And you, old sir, we are told you prospered once.”
XXIV. 543 (tr. R. Lattimore); Achilles to Priam.
Iliad (c. 750 BC)
Original
Καὶ σὲ γέρον τὸ πρὶν μὲν ἀκούομεν ὄλβιον εἶναι.
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Homér 217
Ancient Greek epic poet, author of the Iliad and the OdysseyRelated quotes
“Then, sir, you will turn it over once more in what you are pleased to call your mind.”
Quoted by Thomas Arthur Nash in The life of Richard Lord Westbury, formerly Lord High Chancellor (1888) vol. 2, p. 292 http://archive.org/stream/liferichardlord00nashgoog#page/n308/mode/2up/search/Then+sir+you+will+turn+it+over+once+more+in+what+you+are+pleased+to+call+your+mind: Early mentioning of Mental rotation
“You do not play then at whist, sir! Alas, what a sad old age you are preparing for yourself!”
Vous ne jouez donc pas le whist, monsieur? Hélas! quelle triste vieilesse vous vous préparez!
Reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 90.
to General Montgomery in North Africa during WWII. Montgomery was standing on the back of a truck making one of his rousing speeches to the troops before they went into battle against the Axis forces. At some point his gaze fell on Harry Secombe who was standing at the front. Harry was a Bombardier in the Artillery, covered in boils, had his glasses broken in several places and put back together with sticky tape, and wore an ill fitting uniform for his rotund shape. Montgomery's speech ground to an awkward silence as he examined his soldier who was beaming up at him. With a huge grin and a salute, Harry filled the void with a cry of "We are with you sir!", to which the troops cheered and Montgomery replied "um, good", before continuing
Of Pausanias the Son of Phistoanax
Laconic Apophthegms