“And then he drew a dial from his poke,And looking with lack-lustre eye,Says very wisely, 'It is ten o'clock:Thus we may see', Quoth he, 'how the world wags:'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,And after one hour more 'twill be eleven;And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe,And then from hour to hour we rot and rot.”

“We strut and fret our hour upon the stage and then are no more.”

“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me; For now hath time made me his numbering clock: My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch, Whereto my finger, like a dial's point, Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears. Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is Are clamorous groans, which strike upon my heart, Which is the bell: so sighs and tears and groans Show minutes, times, and hours.”

“Here is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings;Which in a set hand fairly is engross'dThat it may be to-day read o'er in Paul's.And mark how well the sequel hangs together:Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me;The precedent was full as long a-doing;And yet within these five hours Hastings liv'd,Untainted, unexamin'd, free, at liberty.Here's a good world the while! Who is so grosThat cannot see this palpable device?Yet who's so bold but says he sees it not?Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,When such ill dealing must be seen in thought.”

“Come what come may, time and the hour run through the roughest day.”

“What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?”

“It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all.”