George Peele

George Peele (born in London, baptized 25 July 1556 – buried 9 November 1596), was an English translator, poet, and dramatist.


 * See also:
 * The Old Wives' Tale
 * David and Bethsabe

Quotes
It is a prick, it is a sting, It is a pretty, pretty thing; It is a fire, it is a coal, Whose flame creeps in at every hole!
 * What thing is love?—for (well I wot) love is a thing
 * The Hunting of Cupid (1591)


 * O Gentle Love, ungentle for thy deede,       Thou makest my hart,        A bloodie marke, With piercing shot to bleede.Shoote soft sweete Love, for feare thou shoote amisse,        For feare too keene,        Thy arrowes beene: And hit the hart, where my belovèd is.Too faire that fortune were, nor never I        Shall be so blest,        Among the rest: That love shall ceaze on her by simpathy.Then since with Love my prayers beare no boote,        This doth remaine,        To cease my paine, I take the wound, and die at Venus foote.
 * Anthologised in England’s Helicon (1600); cp. Latin O Crudelis Amor

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

 * Quotes reported in: Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

Villain, I say, give me a horse to fly, To swim the river, villain, and to fly.
 * Villain, a horse--
 * Battle of Alcazar (acted 1588-1589, printed 1594), act V, line 104. Published anonymously, but attributed with much probability to Peele.

O time too swift! O swiftness never ceasing! His youth ’gainst time and age hath ever spurned, But spurned in vain; youth waneth by encreasing.
 * His golden locks time hath to silver turned;
 * Polyhymnia (1590)

And lovers’ songs be turned to holy psalms; A man-at-arms must now serve on his knees, And feed on prayers, which are old age’s alms.
 * His helmet now shall make a hive for bees,
 * Polyhymnia (1590); also attributed to Henry Lee of Ditchley

Concludes with Cupid’s curse: They that do change old love for new, Pray gods, they change for worse!
 * My merry, merry, merry roundelay
 * Cupid's Curse, lines 12-13 (date uncertain)