He that tries to recommend (Shakespeare) by select quotations, will succeed like the pedant in Hierocles, who, when he offered his house to sale, carried a brick in his pocket as a specimen

Summary

This quote suggests that attempting to showcase the greatness of Shakespeare's works by using only a few select quotations is akin to the foolishness of a pedant trying to sell his house by carrying around a single brick as a sample. In other words, it implies that fully appreciating Shakespeare's genius requires experiencing and understanding his works in their complete form, rather than relying on isolated snippets. Similar to how a brick alone cannot adequately represent a whole house, select quotations alone cannot capture the entirety of Shakespeare's brilliance.

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