'For he that fights and runs away
Will live to fight another day.'
"These lines are almost universally supposed to form a part of Hudibras; and, so confident have even scholars been on the subject, that in 1784 a wager was made at Bootle's, of twenty to one, that they were to be found in that inimitable poem. Dodsley was referred to as the arbitrator, when he ridiculed the idea of consulting him on the subject, saying, 'Every fool knows they are in Hudibras.' George Selwyn, who was present, said to Dodsley, 'Pray, sir, will you be good enough, then, to inform an old fool, who is at the same time your wise worship's very humble servant, in what canto they are to be found?' Dodsley took down the volume, but he could not find the passage; the next day came, with no better success; and the sage bibliopole was obliged to confess, 'that a man might be ignorant of the author of this well-known couplet without being absolutely a fool.'"
I have also the following memorandum in a common-place book of mine, but I do not remember from what source I transcribed it many years past:—
"The couplet, thus erroneously ascribed to the author of Hudibras, occurs in a small volume of Miscellaneous Poems, by Sir John Mennis, written in the reign of Charles the Second, which has now become extremely scarce. The original of the couplet may, however, be traced to much higher authority, even to Demosthenes, who has the following expression:—
'[Greek: Anaer ho pheugon kai palin machaesetai]',
of which the lines are almost a literal translation."
While on the subject of quotations, let me ask whether any of your correspondents can tell me where the passage, "Providence tempers the wind to the shorn lamb," is to be found?
Among a few of the many floating quotable passages universally known, without any trace of the authors, among general readers and writers, are the following:—
"When wild in woods the noble savage ran."
DRYDEN's Conquest of Grenada.
"And whistled as he went for want of thought."