The saying is thought to have originated with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote ( c. 1150 ) , `` L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs '' ( hell is full of good wishes and desires ) .
In the mid-12th century , Bernard of Clairvaux wrote , `` L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs '' ( hell is full of good wishes and desires ) .