W. S. Gilbert Quotes

Archibald: To understand this, it is not necessary to think of anything at all.
Saphir: Let us think of nothing at all!

Things are seldom what they seem;
Skim milk masquerades as cream.

My object all sublime
I shall achieve in time—
To let the punishment fit the crime,
The punishment fit the crime.

...but it's an unjust world, and virtue is triumphant only in theatrical performances.

Of that there is no manner of doubt—
No probable, possible shadow of doubt—
No possible doubt whatever.

Heigh-dy! Heigh-dy!
Misery me, lack-a-day-dee!
He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb,
As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

Man is nature's sole mistake.

So I fell in love with a rich attorney's
Elderly, ugly daughter.

In enterprise of martial kind,
When there was any fighting,
He led his regiment from behind—
He found it less exciting.

As someday it may happen that a victim must be found
I've got a little list, I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed—who never would be missed!

By doing so, we shall, in course of time,
Regenerate completely our entire land—
Great Britain is that monarchy sublime,
To which some add (but others do not) Ireland.

Ah pray, make no mistake,
we are not shy;
We're very wide awake,
The moon and I!

I know a youth who loves a little maid—
(Hey, but his face is a sight for to see!)
Silent is he, for he's modest and afraid
(Hey, but he's timid as a youth can be!)

Some word that teems with hidden meaning, like "Basingstoke". It might recall me to my saner self. For, after all, I am only Mad Margaret! Daft Meg! Poor Meg! He! he! he!

I am the monarch of the sea,
The Ruler of the Queen's Navee,
Whose praise Great Britain loudly chants
And we are his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts!