[Ads-l] Experience is the best of schoolmasters; only the school-fees are heavy

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The saying in the subject line is a member of a family of sayings that
I recently investigated after receiving an inquiry.

Sayings in the family have been attributed to Thomas Carlyle, Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, Johann P. F. Richter, Heinrich Heine, and Minna
Antrim. Here is a link to the QI article:

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/06/07/experience-fees/

Statements in this family have been circulating and evolving for many
years; hence this is a complex topic. Here is a chronological sampling
which presents a snapshot of current research:

1743: (Precursor) Experience keeps a dear school, yet Fools will learn
in no other. (Benjamin Franklin)

1828: Experience is the best of schoolmasters; only the school-fees
are heavy. (Thomas Carlyle)

1843: Dear bought experience is the only effectual schoolmaster. (Anon)

1856: Experience is the only schoolmaster; although the school-fees
are somewhat heavy. (Attributed to Johann Paul Friedrich Richter)

1863 Experience is the best schoolmaster, but the school-fees are
heavy. (Attributed to Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

1874: Experience and practice are the best schoolmasters; but the
school fees are somewhat heavy. (Attributed to Johann Paul Friedrich
Richter)

1893: Experience was the best of schools, but unfortunately the fees
charged in it were extremely high. (Attributed to Heinrich Heine)

1902: Experience is a good teacher but she sends in terrific bills.
(Minna T. Antrim)

1927: Experience is a good school, but the fees are high. (Attributed
to Heinrich Heine)

1968: Experience is the best teacher, but the tuition is much too high. (Anon)

Feedback welcome
=
Garson O'Toole

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