Proverb Question

[Baker, John]

        "The mutual dependence of merchants is so great, that their
engagements like a chain, which, according to the Law of Physics is
never stronger than its weakest link, are oftener broke through the
weakness of others than their own."  Edwin Freedley, A Practical
Treatise on Business 196 (1852 copyright, 1853 on title page) (via
Making of America).

        With somewhat different wording, there's this passage from
Pierre Corneille, Polyeucte (c. 1643):  "In chain unheeded weakest link
must fail."  This is from the Harvard Classics translation, via
Bartleby.com.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Fred Shapiro
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:48 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Proverb Question

The earliest occurrence I have found for the proverb "A chain is no
stronger than its weakest link" (in that exact wording) is dated 1861.
Is anyone able to uncover an earlier example than that?

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
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QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
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