[Ads-l] Quote: Qui cessat esse melior, cessat esse bonus. He who ceases to improve, ceases to be good. Request in Early English Books Online 2

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Gerald Krieghofer, a German quotation expert, contacted me and
inquired about a saying attributed to Oliver Cromwell. I have now
created a Quote Investigator article on the topic. Feedback welcome.

If I Cease Becoming Better, I Shall Soon Cease To Be Good
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2019/10/27/good-better/

The earliest citation in the QI article points to a Latin version of
the adage (together with an English translation) in 1621.

Perhaps a list member with access to the database Early English Books
Online 2 (EEBO2) can help me by providing pertinent scans from a 1630
book containing a Latin version of the saying. Below is some metadata,
the target text, and a link. EEBO1 and EEO2 are now part of ProQuest,
I believe. Anyone can search and access the OCR text of EEBO1, but
access to EEBO2 is restricted.

Year: 1630
Title: Panacea: or, Select aphorismes, diuine and morall
Publisher: Printed by Augustine Mathewes, London.
Database: Early English Books Online 2
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A08887.0001.001

[Begin extracted text]
Qui cessat esse melior, cessat esse bonus.
[End extracted text]

Krieghofer encountered the saying because it is often attributed to
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach. He has written an analysis in German
casting doubt on that attribution:
https://falschzitate.blogspot.com/2019/09/wer-aufhort-besser-werden-zu-wollen.html

Garson O'Toole

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