Urgent! I need help. Hopefully tonight!

sorabji.com: I need advice: Urgent! I need help. Hopefully tonight!
By Czarina on Thursday, February 28, 2002 - 10:25 pm:

    If anyone knows the origin of the saying:

    "They always shoot the messenger"

    I need to leave this message for someone,and would like to quote the source.

    Also,if anyone knows the source,[author],and correct wording of:

    "Go silently into the night"

    I need that info,too.

    Thank you,thank you,thank you.

By droopy on Thursday, February 28, 2002 - 11:49 pm:

    i checked my brewer's dictionary of phrase and fable and bartlett's quotations for "shoot the messenger", but i got nothing. i don't think it really has a source, it's just an adage going back to the time when the only way kings could communicate was through couriers. you always see comedy bits like that (benny hill used to do this) - a guy delivers a message to a caesar or king and then waits in fear to see how he reacts to the news.

    my guess on the second one would be dylan thomas's poem "do not go gentle into that good night."

By Czarina on Friday, March 1, 2002 - 12:14 am:

    I love you Droop! Thank you sooooooooooooo much!