The Press., 1922-10-12
|CREDIT TO WHOM?
Memory Test Concerning Popular Quotation.
Who VIII Come Forward With ProOe as to Authorship of Words
 AScFlbed to ManY7

Who sa1dI ''There, but for the grace of God, so l. "" Having asked practically every one we know and also some we did not know we have discovered ourselves to be as wise as when we started.
 Eminent theOlogians, quite naturally 1t 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 well, but seeking cOrrOborative testimony - a fellow worker having put the matter on sporting basis, as 1t were, by bet ting $1 that John Bunyan said tive went further and asked several of the eminent clergymen. Those who told us had so many favOrites that we were more bewildered and amazed than when we began. John Milton, John Bunyan, John Wesley, Sir Isaac New
 
 Dr. John Dome, 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- tiOn when the answer was of a nature that should spring spontaneously to the lips of the educated, but their choices were 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 lt-William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, Sydney Smith and Thomas a'Kemp1s; but they, when pressed, produced no documentary evidence.
 A pebble cast into the Pacific at Gal ifOrnla will start in motion wave that finally breaks upon the distant Asian shore, we have heard-we do not know who said that either, nor do we believe lt-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 it. 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 It's credit might be found. The lecturer it later developed, was cer- tain of the fact, but could produce no authority for 1t. That started the young woman on @ search among all the books of quotations that were ever written and are still extant in Hart ford.
 One person insisted somewhat heat edly and with no reservations that MIL ton said it. Perhaps he did, but aside from discovering that the blind poet once remarked that
 For contemplat ton he and valor formed For softness she and sweet attractive grace.
 and also
 Grace was in all her steps. Heaven in her eyes.
 not to mention
 And grace that won who say to wish her stay.
 we were unable to find that he was ever guilty of the bombastic and con- ceited remark under discussion.
 And so it went, and so 1t goes. Per haps some day we will know, but we have nearly given up hope.