--- title: "6 Down and Quotes By William Shakespeare" description: "6 Down and quotes by William Shakespeare. Plus more from William Shakespeare and more Down and sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/william-shakespeare-4_down-and_o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nur_135658.jpg" --- > [O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee, 1710. That thou no more will weigh my eyelids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nurse-how-have-i-frightened-thee/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/william-shakespeare-4_down-and_o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nur_135658.jpg) > [A fool, a fool! I met a fool i' th' forest, A motley fool! a miserable world! As I do live by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-fool-a-fool-i-met-a-fool-i-th-forest-a-motley-fool-a-miserable/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/william-shakespeare-4_down-and_a-fool-a-fool-i-met-a-fool-i-th-forest-a_208134.jpg) > [O sleep! O gentle sleep! Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nurse-how-have-i-frighted-thee/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/143/william-shakespeare-4_canopy_o-sleep-o-gentle-sleep-nature-s-soft-nur_575066.jpg) > [No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: When thou dost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/no-no-no-no-come-let-s-away-to-prison-we-two-alone-will-sing-like/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/william-shakespeare-4_ask-me_no-no-no-no-come-let-s-away-to-prison-we_1253095.jpg) > [Many strokes, though with a little axe, hew down and fell the hardest-timber'd oak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/many-strokes-though-with-a-little-axe-hew-down-and-fell-the-hardest/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/william-shakespeare-4_down-and_many-strokes-though-with-a-little-axe-he_2547237.jpg) > [The happiest youth, viewing his progress through, What perils past, what crosses to ensue, Would shut the book, and sit him down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-happiest-youth-viewing-his-progress-through-what-perils-past-what/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/william-shakespeare-4_book_the-happiest-youth-viewing-his-progress_3183455.jpg) ## Other authors on Down and ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/william-shakespeare/#itemlist", "name": "6 Down and Quotes By William Shakespeare", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee, 1710. 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