Samuel Johnson, The plays of William Shakespeare, Vol. I (1765), Preface.

He that tries to recommend him by select Quotations, will succeed like the Pedant in Hierocles, who, when he offered his House to Sale, carried a Brick in his Pocket as a Specimen.

— Samuel Johnson

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "He that tries to recommend him by select Quotations, will succeed like the Pedant in Hierocles, who, when he offered his House to Sale, carried a Brick in his Pocket as a Specimen." in the context of "Samuel Johnson, The plays of William Shakespeare, Vol. I (1765), Preface." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "William Shakespeare" (Quotes about Shakespeare: Alphabetised by author) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
William Shakespeare

About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.