“412. He that seekes trouble never misses.”

Source: Memoirs of a Geisha

Source: Space Chantey (1968), Ch. 5, on Polyphemia
Context: Roadstrum had always believed that he had troubles enough of his own. He seldom borrowed trouble, and never on usurious terms. He knew that it was a solid thing that sheep do not gather in taverns and drink beer, not even potato beer; that they do not sing, not even badly; that they do not tell stories. But a stranger can easily make trouble for himself on a strange world by challenging local customs.
"But I am the greet Roadstrum," he said, suddenly and loudly. "I am a great one for winning justice for the lowly, and I do not scare easily. I threw the great Atlas at the wrestle, and who else can say as much? I suffer from the heroic sickness every third day about nightfall, and I am not sure whether this is the third day or not. I say you are men and not sheep. I say: Arise and be men indeed!"
"It has been tried before," said Roadstrum's friend, the sheep, "and it didn't work."
"You have tried a revolt, and it failed?"
"No, no, another man tried to incite us to revolt, and failed."

Second Thyme Around

Source: The Fall Into Time (1964), p. 178, first American edition (1970)

Book I, lines 105-106
Davideis (1656)

said I.
Source: Bleak House (1852-1853), Ch. 3

As quoted in The Jerusalem Post (18 November 2002) http://www.factsofisrael.com/blog/archives/000491.html; often misquoted as "Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." The quote is attributed to Abba Eban after the Geneva Peace Conference http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/geneva.html with Arab countries (21 December 1973).

Source: Call Me Irresistible

Source: The Doctrine of the Mean