“ a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: 'tis a blushing shame-faced spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom; it fills a man full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold that by chance I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turned out of towns and cities for a dangerous thing ”
William Shakespeare, Richard III (1597). copy citation
Author | William Shakespeare |
---|---|
Source | Richard III |
Topic | shame spirit |
Date | 1597 |
Language | English |
Reference | |
Note | Written between 1591 and 1592 |
Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1503/1503-h/1503-h.htm |
Context
“there's few or none will entertain it.
FIRST MURDERER
What if it come to thee again?
SECOND MURDERER
I'll not meddle with it,—it makes a man coward; a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear, but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: 'tis a blushing shame-faced spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom; it fills a man full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold that by chance I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turned out of towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man that means to live well endeavours to trust to himself and live without it.
FIRST MURDERER
Zounds,'tis even now at my elbow, persuading me not to kill the duke.
SECOND MURDERER
Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not;”
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