Poems
“Act I, scene II. — (Polinico).”
Un padrone, quanti ha più servi, tanti più ha inimici.
Translation: The more servants a master has, the more enemies he has.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 432.
La Calandria (c. 1507)
“Act I, scene II. — (Fesserio).”
Non può il vitello, e vuol che porti il hue.
Translation: He cannot manage the calf, and wants to carry the ox.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 377.
La Calandria (c. 1507)
“Il Capello Parlante, Act III, Sc. I. — (Lancourt).”
Le apparenze spesse volte convincono ed ingannano.
Translation: Appearances are very often both convincing and deceiving.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 351.
“Santa Agnesa, Act I., Scene II. — (Lascone).”
Ogni laccio
O sia di seta, o d’oro, o si di fune
Strigne ed affoga.
Translation: Every bond,
Be it of silk, or gold, or vulgar hemp,
Presses and suffocates.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 385.
“When I read, it is not acted literature; but what I write is written acting.”
Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)
“Act III., Scene V. — (Fiametta).”
Chi mal si marita non esce mai di fatica.
Translation: He who makes a bad marriage never escapes from his troubles.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 266.
I Lucidi (published 1549)
“I knew I was going into one of the arts: I was drawing, acting, and writing.”
The Paris Review interview (2010)
“The Wild Gallant, act ii. scene. 1.”
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
