Brevity is the body and soul of wit.

Brevity is the body and soul of wit.

Wit's an unruly engine, wildly striking
Sometimes a friend, sometimes the engineer:
Hast thou the knack? pamper read more

Wit's an unruly engine, wildly striking
Sometimes a friend, sometimes the engineer:
Hast thou the knack? pamper it not with liking;
But if thou want it, buy it not too deare
Many affecting wit beyond their power,
Have got to be a deare fool for an houre.

It is by such encounters that wits come to know each other.
[Ger., Les beaux esprits lernen einander durch read more

It is by such encounters that wits come to know each other.
[Ger., Les beaux esprits lernen einander durch dergleichen
recontre erkennen.]

Great wits are sure to madness near allied,
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.

Great wits are sure to madness near allied,
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.

Wit is a sword; it is meant to make people feel the point as well as see it.

Wit is a sword; it is meant to make people feel the point as well as see it.

Wit will shine
Through the harsh cadence of a rugged line.

Wit will shine
Through the harsh cadence of a rugged line.

Don't put too fine a point to your wit for fear it should get
blunted.

Don't put too fine a point to your wit for fear it should get
blunted.

Their heads sometimes so little that there is no room for wit;
sometimes so long, that there is no read more

Their heads sometimes so little that there is no room for wit;
sometimes so long, that there is no wit for so much room.

We grant, although he had much wit,
H' was very shy of using it,
As being loth read more

We grant, although he had much wit,
H' was very shy of using it,
As being loth to wear it out,
And therefore bore it not about;
Unless on holy days or so,
As men their best apparel do.