John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
3100 Tom Brown 1663-1704 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 3100 |
| AUTHOR: | Tom Brown (1663–1704) |
| QUOTATION: | I do not love thee, Doctor Fell, The reason why I cannot tell; But this alone I know full well, I do not love thee, Doctor Fell. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Laconics. |
| Note 1. A slightly different version is found in Brown’s Works collected and published after his death:— Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te (I do not love thee, Sabidius, nor can I say why; this only I can say, I do not love thee).—Martial: Epigram i. 33. Je ne vous aime pas, Hylas; Je n’en saurois dire la cause, Je sais seulement une chose; C’est que je ne vous aime pas. Bussy: Comte de Rabutin. (1618–1693.) [back] |