who wrote...

[icecold]

its better to have loved than lost?

[maxi29]

Samuel Butler in Way of all Flesh

[xyzzyplugh]

Perhaps; but is it not Tennyson who has said: ''Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have lost at all'?" http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/62650.html

[Cetti]

Samuel Butler (1612-1680) wrote "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all" from 'Way of All Flesh' - Tennyson ( 1809-1892) wrote "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" from 'In Memoriam'. Looks like a bit of plagiarism, even in those days!

[Kit]

Ah, Cetti - who's plagiarising who? According to my sources, Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902) was an English composer, novelist, & satiric author, whose autobiographical novel "The Way of All Flesh" was published posthumously in 1903.

[Cetti]

You're right Kit - I've just checked in the Penguin book of Quotations, there were two Samuel Butler entries together - I took the dates from the earlier one. That's one up to you!

[Kit]

May be one up to me this time, Cetti, but by my reckoning you're still beating me...!

[icecold]

thank you people. =) ive posted another question on lord of the flies being the best book ever written