The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-25
Memory Test Concerning Popular
Quotation.
Who VIII Come Forward With Proof
as to Authorship Of Words
AscFibed 70 Many?

Who said: There, but for the grace
Of God, go L s'' Having asked
practically every one we know and
also some we did not know we have
discovered ourselves 20 be as wise as
when we started.
Eminent theologians, quite naturally
II seemed TO Us, should have been
the authorities from whose decision
there could be no appeal on this QueS-
ton. Several Of them, questioned,
knew, but had for the moment forgot
ten. They were to let Us know, says a
Hartford Courant writer. We have not
heard from them. Others, not having
forgotten, told us. If we had stopped
with one all might have been we'll, but
seeking corroborative testimony -
fsnow worker having put the matter
on sporting basis, as IL were, by bet
ting 81 that John Bunyan said tive
went further and asked several Of the
eminent clergymen- Those who told US
had so many favorttes that we were
more bewi1dered and amazed than
when we began. John Milton, John
Bunyan, John Wesley, Sir Isaac New
ton, Francis Bacon, Samuel johnson,
Dr.. John Donne, Bishop Hall, Dean
Swift-we could not believe that
Dean Swift would have said that
Isaac Watts and Bishop Berkeley,
those are some that we recall.
Eminent literary men, appealed to,
were equally certain they knew and
did not In all cases disguise an amused
contempt that we should ask a Ques-
ton when the answer was Of nature
that should spring spontaneously to
the lips Of the educated, but their
choices we're as varied as those of
their eminent brothers in another field
Of endeavor. About the only addenda
to the lists given by the clergymen
that we recall were Alexander Pope,
Ben Jonson-we know he did not say
it-William Pitt, Earl of Chatham,
Sydney Smith and Thomas attempts;
but they, when pressed, produced no
documentary evidence.
A pebble cast into the Pacific at Cal
ifornia will start in motion a wave
that finally breaks upon the distant
Asian shore, we have heard-we do
do we believe it-and In a somewhat
similar fashion our query began to In
volve others. A young woman hearing
Of the quest kindly called up to in
form US that Francis Bacon had said
Il. We asked her how she knew. She
had attended lecture shortly before
and the lecturer had quoted the
phrase and ascribed it to the man who
once remarked that God Almighty
planted the first garden. Somewhat
to her surprise we asked If she could
possibly get in touch with the lecturer
and ascertain where the quotation
with its credit might be found. The
lecturer, 1t later developed, was GER
tain Of the fact, but could produce no
authority for 1t. That started the
young woman on a search among all
the books Of quotations that were ever
written and are still extant In Hart
ford.
One person insisted somewhat heat
eddy and with no reservations that NIL
ton said it. Perhaps he did, but aside
from discovering that the blind poet
once remarked that
For contemplation he and yalor formed
For softness she and sweet attractive
grace
and also
Grace was In all her steps, Heaven I'm
her eyes.
not to mention
And grace that won who say to wish her
stay.
we were unable 10 find that he was
ever guilty Of the bombastic and con-
cedted remark under discussion.
And so It went, and so it goes. Per
haps some day we will know, but we
have nearly given up hope.