>Did anyone try the Bartlett's as Prof. Camfield suggested??

My Bartlett's doesn't list this particular quote, but there are two that
look a lot like its direct ancestor -- from Plutarch and Cato. So the basic
theme is as old as the hills...

A writer I know has observed that there's a strong tendency for any
humorous, slightly folksy aphorism from the mid-to-late19th century to end
up being attributed to either Twain or Lincoln, no matter who actually said
it. This one is probably an example.