The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

4.33 Jack Dempsey 1895-1983
Honey, I just forgot to duck.
To his wife, on losing the World Heavyweight title, 23 September 1926, in J. and B. P. Dempsey
‘Dempsey’ (1977) p. 202. After a failed attempt on his life in 1981, Ronald Reagan quipped: ‘Honey, I forgot
to duck’
4.34 Sir John Denham 1615-69
Thames, the most loved of all the Ocean’s sons,
By his old sire, to his embraces runs,
Hasting to pay his tribute to the Sea,
Like mortal life to meet eternity.
‘Cooper’s Hill’
O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example, as it is my theme!
Though deep, yet clear, though gentle, yet not dull,
Strong without rage, without o’erflowing full.
‘Cooper’s Hill’
Youth, what man’s age is like to be doth show;
We may our ends by our beginnings know.
‘Of Prudence’ l. 225
Old Mother Wit, and Nature gave
Shakespeare and Fletcher all they have;
In Spenser, and in Jonson, Art,
Of slower Nature got the start.
‘On Mr Abraham Cowley’
Such is our pride, our folly, or our fate,
That few, but such as cannot write, translate.
‘To Richard Fanshaw’ (1648)
4.35 Lord Denman (Thomas, first Baron Denman) 1779-1854
If it is possible that such a practice as that which has taken place in the present instance should
be allowed to pass without a remedy...trial by jury itself, instead of being a security to persons
who are accused, will be a delusion, a mockery, and a snare.
House of Lords speech, 4 September 1844, in the case of O’Connell and others versus The Queen in E. W.
Cox (ed.) ‘Reports of Cases in Criminal Law’ (1846) vol. 1, p. 519
4.36 John Dennis 1657-1734
A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.
The Gentleman’s Magazine (1781) p. 324 (editorial note)
The great design of art is to restore the decays that happened to human nature by the fall, by