“Hell is paved with good intentions.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) English writer
April 14, 1775 <br class="br">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." <br class="br">[alt.quotations, Earlier Attributions, Wilson, Robert, UseNet, 2009-01-06] <br class="br">Note that "The road to Hell…" is not part of the quotation. <br class="br">The Samuel Johnson web site suggests this entry is dated 16 April, but it appears to be part of the previous entry. <br class="br"> Samuel Johnson web site http://www.samueljohnson.com/road.html <br class="br">Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), Vol II <br class="br">Source: The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 2