Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine read more

Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' th' adage?

Thou art a cat, and a rat, and a coward.

Thou art a cat, and a rat, and a coward.

Cowards do not count in battle; they are there, but not in it.

Cowards do not count in battle; they are there, but not in it.

So cowards fight when they can fly no further;
So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons;
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So cowards fight when they can fly no further;
So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons;
So desperate thieves, all hopeless of their lives,
Breathe out invectives 'gainst the officers.

When all the blandishments of life are gone,
The coward sneaks to death, the brave live on.

When all the blandishments of life are gone,
The coward sneaks to death, the brave live on.

The coward only threatens when he is safe.
[Ger., Der Fiege droht nur, wo er sicher ist.]

The coward only threatens when he is safe.
[Ger., Der Fiege droht nur, wo er sicher ist.]

The coward never on himself relies,
But to an equal for assistance flies.

The coward never on himself relies,
But to an equal for assistance flies.

E'en a crow o' th' same nest; not altogether so great as the
first in goodness, but greater a read more

E'en a crow o' th' same nest; not altogether so great as the
first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels
his brother for a coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the
best that is. In a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in
coming on he has the cramp.

A coward boasting of his courage may deceive strangers, but he is
a laughing-stock to those who know him.
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A coward boasting of his courage may deceive strangers, but he is
a laughing-stock to those who know him.
[Lat., Virtutis expers verbis jactans gloriam
Ignotos fallit, notis est derisui.]