WIST Quotations

Howell, James -- Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία]: Proverbs, or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “English Proverbs” (1659) [compiler]

Dave — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:20:34 +0000

Words cutt more than swords.

James Howell (c. 1594–1666) Welsh historian and writer
Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία]: Proverbs, or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “English Proverbs” (1659) [compiler]
(Source)

A common proverbial concept before and after. See also the Bible, Shakespeare (1590), Shakespeare (1598), Herbert (1640), Franklin (1744), Irving (1820), Lowell (1914), Sarton (1973), Fry (1997), Ginott (2003).

Malory, Thomas -- Le Morte d’Arthur, Book 1, ch. 25 (1485)

Dave — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:16:23 +0000

So they rode till they came to a lake, the which was a fair water and broad, and in the midst of the lake Arthur was ware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in that hand.

Thomas Malory (c. 1415-1471) English writer
Le Morte d’Arthur, Book 1, ch. 25 (1485)
(Source)

Malory, Thomas -- Le Morte d’Arthur, Book 1, ch. 5 (1485)

Dave — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:25:07 +0000

And when matins and the first mass was done, there was seen in the churchyard, against the high altar, a great stone four square, like unto a marble stone; and in midst thereof was like an anvil of steel a foot on high, and therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and letters there were written in gold about the sword that said thus:—Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.

Thomas Malory (c. 1415-1471) English writer
Le Morte d’Arthur, Book 1, ch. 5 (1485)
(Source)

Brust, Steven -- The Paths of the Dead (2002)

Dave — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 19:24:39 +0000

The Cool Stuff Theory of Literature is as follows: All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what’s cool. And that works all the way from the external trappings to the level of metaphor, subtext, and the way one uses words. In other words, I happen not to think that full-plate armor and great big honking greatswords are cool. I don’t like ’em. I like cloaks and rapiers. So I write stories with a lot of cloaks and rapiers in ’em, ’cause that’s cool.

Steven Brust (b. 1955) American writer, systems programmer
The Paths of the Dead (2002)

In the essay "Some Notes Toward Two Analyses of Auctorial Method and Voice" by Teresa Nielsen Hayden.

Shakespeare, William -- Hamlet, Act 2, sc. 2, l. 366ff (2.2.366) (c. 1600)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:00:00 +0000

ROSENCRANTZ: Many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Hamlet, Act 2, sc. 2, l. 366ff (2.2.366) (c. 1600)
(Source)