John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
4885 Arthur Wellesley
| NUMBER: | 4885 |
| AUTHOR: | Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1769–1852) |
| QUOTATION: | Circumstances over which I have no control. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Mem. by the Duke, 2 Sept. 18, 1836. |
| Note 1. This phrase was first used by the Duke of Wellington in a letter, about 1839 or 1840.—Sala: Echoes of the Week, in London Illustrated News, Aug. 23, 1884. Greville, Mem., ch. ii. (1823), gives an earlier instance. [back] |
| Note 2. Stanhope: Conversations with the Duke of Wellington, p. 81. [back] |