John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
22 Geoffrey Chauer 1340-1400 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 22 |
| AUTHOR: | Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340–1400) |
| QUOTATION: | To maken vertue of necessite. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Canterbury Tales. The Knightes Tale. Line 3044. |
| Note 1. Also in Troilus and Cresseide, line 1587. To make a virtue of necessity.—William Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona, act iv. sc. 2. Mathew Henry: Comm. on Ps. xxxvii. John Dryden: Palamon and Arcite. In the additions of Hadrianus Julius to the Adages of Erasmus, he remarks, under the head of Necessitatem edere, that a very familiar proverb was current among his countrymen,—“Necessitatem in virtutem commutare” (To make necessity a virtue). Laudem virtutis necessitati damus (We give to necessity the praise of virtue).—Quintilian: Inst. Orat. i. 8. 14. [back] |