John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
5820 William Knox 1789-1825 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 5820 |
| AUTHOR: | William Knox (1789–1825) |
| QUOTATION: | Oh why should the spirit of mortal be proud? Like a fast-flitting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, He passes from life to his rest in the grave. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Mortality. 2 |
| Note 1. Abraham Lincoln was very fond of repeating these lines. [back] |
| Note 2. From Knox’s “Songs of Israel,” 1824. [back] |