Who said “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.”?

Verified

John Dryden. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceAbsalom and Achitophel (1681)

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“Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.”
— John Dryden
VerifiedAbsalom and Achitophel (1681) · evidenceGenius

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Absalom and Achitophel (1681).

APA

Dryden, J. (n.d.). Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19561-great-wits-are-sure-to-madness-near-allied/

MLA

Dryden, John. “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19561-great-wits-are-sure-to-madness-near-allied/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Dryden, John. “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19561-great-wits-are-sure-to-madness-near-allied/.

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VerifiedEdison claimed authorship of this statement in a 1927 letter: "it is quite true I once made the statement that genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, and I am still of the same opinion". · evidenceDetails & citeGenius

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