Editorial status
misattributed
Twain is a frequent magnet for this line, but the cited history places earlier versions with Edward Ward or Christopher Bullock. Twain helped popularize related wording; that is not proof he originated it.
Source-backed author: Edward Ward or Christopher Bullock
Earliest traceable appearance in this record: Eighteenth-century versions associated with Edward Ward or Christopher Bullock; exact priority remains a source-history question.