Famous Thieving Quotes

'Tis bad enough in man or woman To steal a goose from off a common; But surely he's without excuse Who steals a common from the goose.
-- Unattributed Author

--To live On means not yours--be brave in silks and laces, Gallant in steeds; splendid in banquets; all Not yours. Given, uninherited, unpaid for; This is to be a trickster; and to filch Men's art and labour, which to them is wealth, Life, daily bread;--quitting all scores with "friend, You're troublesome!" Why this, forgive me, Is what, when done with a less dainty grace, Plain folks call "Theft."
-- Edward George Earle

A murderer and a villain, A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe Of your precedent lord, a vice of kings, A cutpurse of the empire and the rule, That from a shelf the precious diadem stole And put it in his pocket--
-- William Shakespeare

A plague upon it when thieves cannot be true one to another!
-- William Shakespeare

Do villainy, do, since you protest to do't, Like workmen. I'll example you with thievery: The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast sea; the moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun; The sea's a thief, whose liquid surges resolves The moon into salt tears; the earth's a thief, That feeds and breeds by a composture stol'n From gen'ral excrement.
-- William Shakespeare

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
-- Bible

He that is robbed, not wanting what is stol'n, Let him not know't, and he's not robbed at all.
-- William Shakespeare

In vain we call old notions fudge And bend our conscience to our dealing. The Ten Commandments will not budge And stealing will continue stealing.
-- Motto

Kill a man's family, and he may brook it, But keep your hands out of his breeches' pocket.
-- Lord Byron

Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemned to have an itching palm, To sell and mart your offices for gold To undeservers.
-- William Shakespeare

Never thrust your own sickle into another's corn.
-- Syrus

No Indian prince has to his palace More followers than a thief to the gallows.
-- Edward George Earle

O villain, thou hast stol'n both mine office and my name! The one ne'er got me credit, the other mickle blame.
-- William Shakespeare

Stolen sweets are always sweeter: Stolen kisses much completer; Stolen looks are nice in chapels: Stolen, stolen be your apples.
-- Thomas Randolph

Stolen sweets are best.
-- Colley Cibber

The Frier preached against stealing, and had a goose in his sleeve.
-- George Herbert

The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief, He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.
-- William Shakespeare

To keep my hands from picking and stealing.
-- Bible

Well, well, be it so, thou strongest their of all, For thou hast stolen my will, and made it thine.
-- Lord Alfred Tennyson

Who steals a bugle-horn, a ring, a steed, Or such like worthless thing, has some discretion; 'Tis petty larceny: not such his deed Who robs us of our fame, our best possession.
-- Francesco Berni