quote · Legacy record
'Tis the temptation of the devil That makes all human actions evil; For saints may do the same things by The spirit, in sincerity, Which other men are tempted to, And at the devil's instance do: And yet the actions be contrary, Just as the saints and wicked vary.
'Tis the temptation of the devil That makes all human actions evil; For saints may do the same things by The spirit, in sincerity, Which other men are tempted to, And at the devil's instance do: And yet the actions be contrary, Just as the saints and wicked vary.
In print by 1901 AD · modern
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Meaning not yet available
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Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- BUTLER (identity unresolved)
Attribution: unknown - Country attributed
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- In print by 1901 AD · modern
In print by 1901: recorded in Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations (1901). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations (1901) (1901 AD)
Quote1886 · printed citation: BUTLER: Hudibras, Pt. ii., Canto ii., Line 233.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.