[Ads-l] Quote: Money is like muck, which spred abroad, doth good; but hoarded and heaped up, is like a stinking Dunghill

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Wealth redistribution is a perennial topic of political debate. I
recently received a request to explore the provenance of the following
expression:

[Begin excerpt]
Money is like manure.  If you spread it around, it does a lot of good,
but if you pile it up in one place, it stinks like hell.
[End excerpt]

I found a modern instance in a 1961 issue of "Time" magazine spoken by
an oilman named Clint Murchison Jr. who attributed the words to his
Dad.

More interestingly, I found an instance in 1675 in the Early English
Books Online database, but only the text was accessible to the hoi
polloi. The page images were inaccessible.

[ref] 1675, A Treatise of the Sports of Wit by Richard Flecknoe,
Section: A List of some of their Proverbs, Start Page 29, Quote Page
31, Publication: Printed for the author, London. (Early English Books
Online) link [/ref]
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A39728.0001.001

[Begin excerpt]
Money is like muck, which spred abroad, doth good; but hoarded and
heaped up, is like a stinking Dunghill.
[End excerpt]

The expression above was probably built on a simpler statement written
by Francis Bacon and published in 1625. This citation is in the EEBO
Part 2 and not in EEBO Part 1. So, I cannot even look at the 1625
text. Fred lists the Francis Bacon quotation in "The Yale Book of
Quotations". Also, the text of a 1696 reprint is accessible in EEBO.
HathiTrust has the images of the 1696 reprint.

Year: 1696
Title: The essays, or councils, civil and moral, of Sir Francis Bacon,
Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban with a table of the colours of good
and evil, and a discourse of The wisdom of the ancients
Author: Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Publication Info: London: Printed for H. Herringman, R. Scot, R.
Chiswell, A. Swalle, and R. Bentley
Database: Early English Books Online

[Begin excerpt]
Above all things good Policy is to be used, that the Treasure and
Moneys in a State be not gathered into few Hands. For otherwise a
State may have a great Stock, and yet starve. And Money is like Muck,
not good except it be spread.
[End excerpt]

The EEBO database contains seven matches for the phrase "money is like
muck". The one above and the two below are the most interesting (to
me), These three matches are in EEBO 2 and therefore inaccessible.
Soon I will contact a lucky list member for help.

Title: Regales aphorismi: or a royal chain of golden sentences,
divine, morall, and politicall, as at severall times, and on several
occasions they were delivered by King James. Collected by certain
reverend and honourable personages attending on his Majesty.
Author:  James I, King of England, 1566-1625.
Publication Info: London : Printed by B.A. and are to be sold at his
house near the upper pump in Grub-street, 1650.
Collection: Early English Books Online 2

Title: The encouragement and reward of Christian charity set forth in
a sermon preached in the chappel at the Rolls, October 9th 1659 by
Raphael Throckmorton.
Author: Throckmorton, Raphael, 1601-1667.
Publication Info: London : Printed for T. Garthwait, 1659.
Collection: Early English Books Online 2

Garson

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