“If the way to hell is paved with good intentions, the way to defeat is paved with illusions.”

—  Wilhelm Liebknecht

No Compromise – No Political Trading (1899)

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Wilhelm Liebknecht photo
Wilhelm Liebknecht 53
German socialist politician 1826–1900

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Malone added a footnote indicating this is a "proverbial sentence", quoting an earlier 1651 source. At least two other sources appear prior to Johnson. John Ray, in 1670, cited as a proverb, "Hell is paved with good intentions." Even earlier than that, it has been attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), as "Hell is full of good intentions or desires."
[alt.quotations, Earlier Attributions, Wilson, Robert, UseNet, 2009-01-06]
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