The last phrase is a satiric take on Cicero's De Legibus, 106 B.C. See Green, Edward. "Ballads, songs and speeches", BBC, 20 septembre 2004, accessed 16 October 2006.
boisestate.edu
math.boisestate.edu
Bond, Jessie, Reminiscences, introduction. Bond created the mezzo-soprano roles in most of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and is here leading in to a description of Gilbert's role reforming the Victorian theatre.
Kenrick, John. G&S Story: Part III, consulté le 13 octobre 2006; et Powell, Jim. William S. Gilbert's Wicked Wit for Liberty consulté le 13 octobre 2006.
oxforddnb.com
Stedman, Jane W. "Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck (1836–1911)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, septembre 2004, online edn, mai 2008, consulté le 10 janvier 2010 (subscription required)
The full quote refers to Pygmalion and Galatea(en) and reads: "The satire is shrewd, but not profound; the young author is apt to sneer, and he has by no means learned to make the best use of his curiously logical fancy. That he occasionally degrades high and beautiful themes is not surprising. To do so had been the regular proceeding in burlesque, and the age almost expected it; but Gilbert's is not the then usual hearty cockney vulgarity."
Andrew Crowther's description of Gilbert's style of humour. See also Gilbert's play, Topsyturveydom(en).
