Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·174 of 348
"Lord, grant me chastity and continence — but not yet."
They never said that.
What people say
"Lord, grant me chastity and continence — but not yet."
What was actually said
"Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo. (Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.)" Augustine of Hippo — Confessions VIII.vii (c. AD 397–400)
Why it stuck
Correct in substance — but the modern "Lord" is a translator's addition. Augustine addresses God directly but does not use "Lord" in this clause.
The Pine-Coffin and Chadwick English translations both insert "Lord" for sense; the Latin is bare.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.