Talk:The pen is mightier than the sword

A fact from The pen is mightier than the sword appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 16 November 2006. The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the pen is mightier than the sword, an adage coined in 1839 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a play about Cardinal Richelieu, had numerous historical predecessors?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2006/November.

Wikipedia

The hell?

How or why is this categorized as "article with unsourced statements"--I mean, come on, is this quality of very-sourced article really what that label is for? jengod 03:08, 16 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm just still trying to find a WP:RS for the quote "The dashe of a Pen, is more greeuous then the counter use of a Launce" really being in George Whetstone's Heptameron. All I've got is a messageboard posting to support this; actually two posting which seems to disagree. It's probably correct, but I figure its best to throw a fact tag on there in the meantime. -- Kendrick7^talk 05:19, 16 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking it up on Early English Books Online (subscription only) it is there (with 'counterbuse' for 'counter use'). In the 'thyrd Daies Exercise' of Whetstone's Heptameron, it appears as a marginal note - "The dashe of a Pen, is more greeuous then the counterbuse of a Launce." - to the passage "The Doctor, that had giuen as many déepe woundes with his Pen, as euer he had doone with his Launce, shronke no more at these threates, then an Oke at the Helue of an Are, but coldely wylled him, to vse his pleasure, he was ready to defend (or to die, in) his oppinion." Dsp13 14:19, 7 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

EEBO's bibliographic description for the edition used is:

Whetstone, George, 1544?-1587? An heptameron of ciuill discourses Containing: the Christmasse exercise of sundrie well courted gentlemen and gentlewomen. In whose behauiours, the better sort, may see, a represe[n]tation of thier own vertues: and the inferiour, may learne such rules of ciuil gouernme[n]t, as wil rase out the blemish of their basenesse: wherin, is renowned, the vertues, of a most honourable and braue mynded gentleman. And herein, also, as it were in a mirrour the vnmaried may see the defectes whiche eclipse the glorie of mariage: and the wel maried, as in a table of housholde lawes, may cull out needefull preceptes to establysh their good fortune. A worke, intercoursed with ciuyll pleasure, to reaue tediousnesse from the reader: and garnished with morall noates to make it profitable, to the regarder. The reporte, of George Whetstone. Gent., At London : Printed by Richard Iones, at the signe of the Rose and the Crowne, neare Holburne Bridge, 3. Feb. 1582.

Date: 1582

Bib Name / Number: STC (2nd ed.) / 25337

No. pages: [188] p.

Copy from: Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery

Dsp13 20:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK, I've added the source. Thanks for finding this. -- Kendrick7^talk 20:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Trivia - Mike Love (not Brian Wilson as I first said!) used the the phrase om the album "Surf's Up", with the addition of "But no Match for a Gun"--82.42.2.114 14:00, 16 November 2006 (UTC) I like grapes —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.148.110.39 (talk) 08:38, 29 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Variation

Is it worth mentioning the variant of running the words "pen" and "is" together and putting a comma after it? Meaningful humor and parodies could be noteworthy. 141.158.64.33 (talk) 08:09, 19 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]