Quote#Wisdom
Tender-handed stroke a nettle
Quote byAaron Hill · 1685–1750
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Verses Written on a Window in Scotland..
English (original)
Tender-handed stroke a nettle, And it stings you for your pains; Grasp it like a man of mettle, And it soft as silk remains.’Tis the same with common natures: Use ’em kindly, they rebel; But be rough as nutmeg-graters, And the rogues obey you well.
— Aaron Hill
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