Familiar Quotations / A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to / Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27889

Title

Familiar Quotations / A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to / Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

John Bartlett's *Familiar Quotations* is an authoritative anthology tracing common phrases, proverbs, and maxims to their origins in ancient and modern literature. Spanning centuries and cultures, this collection offers readers a rich tapestry of wit, wisdom, and historical insight, serving as both a reference tool and a literary treasure.

Summary up to 500 words

John Bartlett's *Familiar Quotations* stands as a monumental bridge between everyday language and high literature, meticulously tracing the intellectual lineage of common expressions. In this ninth edition, Bartlett presents a vast compilation of passages, phrases, and proverbs sourced from diverse authors ranging from the ancients to contemporary English writers like Robert Browning and Thomas Carlyle. The volume also incorporates selections from French literature and the wisdom of ancient Greek and Roman sources, including Marcus Aurelius and Euripides. The work begins with a preface acknowledging the inherent difficulty in defining 'familiarity,' noting that a phrase known to one class of readers may be entirely new to another. Bartlett admits that many maxims from famous writers and curious turns of phrase knocked at the door of the collection. He admits them erring on the side of fullness, preferring to risk including too many entries rather than excluding 'old friends' that the general reader might not yet recognize. This approach ensures the book serves as a definitive guide to the history of language and thought. The text is structured with an extensive index containing upwards of ten thousand lines, allowing for easy navigation of hundreds of pages of text. Each entry often includes the original context, such as specific works or speeches, and sometimes offers etymological notes or alternative attributions. For instance, the book clarifies the origins of famous sayings like 'All is lost save honour,' attributed to Francis I, and 'History repeats itself,' traced to Plutarch. The volume features contributions from scholars like M.H. Morgan and Daniel W. Wilder, covering a wide array of figures from Shakespeare and Goethe to the Marquis de Vauban. Bartlett expresses great obligations to his assistants, including the translation of Marcus Aurelius by M.H. Morgan and contributions from Mr. Daniel W. Wilder regarding quotations from Pilpay and Diogenes Laertius. The book has grown with its growth in public estimation, with the last two editions printing forty thousand copies apart from English reprints. The present enlargement equals three hundred and fifty pages of the previous edition, solidifying its status as an authoritative book of reference accepted by scholars. Ultimately, the collection reveals how the 'fresh woodes' of new thought emerge from the 'old fieldes' of established literature, preserving the legacy of human wit and wisdom.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Quotations