necessity knows no law

necessity knows no law
Cf. L. necessitas non habet legem, necessity has no law.

1377 LANGLAND Piers Plowman B. xx. 10 Nede ne hath no lawe, ne neure shal falle in dette.

c 1530 W. TYNDALE Answer to More B1 Two things are without law, God and necessity.

a 1555 N. RIDLEY Lamentation of Miserable Estate of Church (1556) D4 The latter reason..includeth a necessitie which after the common sayinge hathe no law.

1680 DRYDEN Kind Keeper III. ii. Necessity has no Law; I must be patient.

1776 F. RHINELANDER Letter 23 Feb. in H. C. Van Schaack Life of Peter Van Schaack (1842) 54 Troops..quarter themselves in any houses they find shut up. Necessity knows no law.

1864 MRS H. WOOD Trevlyn Hold II. xiv. Necessity has no law, and he was obliged to rise.

1939 ‘D. YATES’ Gale Warning vi. ‘“Don’t speak to the man at the wheel” is a very good rule.’ ‘So’, said I, ‘is “Necessity knows no law.”’

1977 S. T. WARNER Kingdoms of Elfin 107 Necessity knows no law. I must admit it. From time to time, I flew.


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