The English words "The pen is mightier than the sword" were first written by novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, in his historical play Cardinal Richelieu.
Richelieu, chief minister to King Louis XIII, discovers a plot to kill him, but as a priest he is unable to take up arms against his enemies.
His page, Francois, points out:
"But now, at your command are other weapons, my good Lord."
Richelieu agrees:
"The pen is mightier than the sword... Take away the sword; States can be saved without it!"
The saying quickly gained currency, says Susan Ratcliffe, associate editor of the Oxford Quotations Dictionaries.
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