She stoops to conquer ... origin/meaning?

Posted by Bernadette on August 23, 2000

In Reply to: She stoops to conquer ... origin/meaning? posted by Bruce Kahl on February 28, 2000

: : Does anyone know where the phrase "she stoops to conquer" comes from, and what it originally meant?

Goldsmith, the playwright, obtained his title for his play by inverting a line from the poet Dryden ('But kneels to Conquer, and but stoops to Rise').