pharse or saying

[seltzman]

What is the origin of "we must grasp the netle, though it makes our hands bleed"?

[artee]

Found the quote but not the origin of.... seltzman.
http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/sayingsg.htm This site has lots of sayings and the one on grasping the nettle is a bit different.

[Marsh]

The phrase appears in Episode 8 of The Prisoner.  There's a transcript on  http://www.scbd.connectfree.co.uk/prisoner/08.html  but way down the page.  (I used Find to get to it.)

[artee]

Yes I found the one Marsh found as well but was not sure whether it was the origin.

[JFJFJFJFJF]

It's probably a corruption of Shakespeare.

"out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety."

Henry IV, part 1, Act II Scene 3