Plutarch (1st century CE) alludes to the metaphor as a then-current adage in his Moralia (De sera numinis vindicta "On the Delay of Divine Vengeance"):
"Thus, I do not see what use there is in those mills of the gods said to grind so late as to render punishment hard to be recognized, and to make wickedness fearless."[3]
Plutarch no doubt here makes reference to a hexameter by an unknown poet, cited by sceptic philosopher Sextus Empiricus (2nd century) in his Adversus Grammaticos as a popular adage:[4]
Ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά.
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine."[5]
The same expression was invoked by Celsus in his (lost) True Discourse. Defending the concept of ancestral fault, Celsus reportedly quoted "a priest of Apollo or of Zeus":
The expression was anthologised in English translation by George Herbert in his collection of proverbs entitled Jacula Prudentum (1652), as "God's mill grinds slow but sure" (no. 743). German epigrammatistFriedrich von Logau, in his Sinngedichte (c. 1654), composed an extended variant of the saying under the title "Göttliche Rache" (divine retribution),[10]
Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam, mahlen aber trefflich klein, ob aus Langmut er sich säumet, bringt mit Schärf 'er alles ein.
Though the mills of God grind slowly; Yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience He stands waiting, With exactness grinds He all.
Modern usageedit
Arthur Conan Doyle alluded to the proverb in his very first Sherlock Holmes adventure, A Study in Scarlet. The allusion is found in the fourth chapter of the second part, in a scene in which the character John Ferrier is confronted by two of the Mormon characters:
. . . Both of them nodded to Ferrier as he entered, and the one in the rocking-chair commenced the conversation.
“Maybe you don’t know us,” he said. “This here is the son of Elder Drebber, and I’m Joseph Stangerson, who travelled with you in the desert when the Lord stretched out His hand and gathered you into the true fold.”
“As He will all the nations in His own good time,” said the other in a nasal voice; “He grindeth slowly but exceeding small.” John Ferrier bowed coldly. He had guessed who his visitors were. . . .
Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet (1886) (emphasis added).
The proverb was used by Agatha Christie in her novel Hercule Poirot's Christmas, as a person quoted it when they saw the corpse of a man who had lived an evil life. It was also referred to by W. Somerset Maugham in the novel The Moon and Sixpence wherein it is used, somewhat piously, by a family member to imply a certain justice in the demise of the central character Charles Strickland,
Then I told them what I had learned about Charles Strickland in Tahiti. I thought it unnecessary to say anything of Ata and her boy, but for the rest I was as accurate as I could be. When I had narrated his lamentable death I ceased. For a minute or two we were all silent. Then Robert Strickland struck a match and lit a cigarette. "The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small," he said, somewhat impressively.
— W. Somerset Maugham, "The Moon and Sixpence" (1919)
During the Second World War, both Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt quoted Longfellow when promising retribution for the extermination of the Jews.[12]
Referencesedit
^Urnholder of the miller Publius Nonius Zethus (1st century C.E.), found in Ostia Antica, now in the Museum of the Vatican.
^Rosemary Alicia Brown (1981), Katherine Emma Maltwood(PDF), Victoria: Sono Nice. University of Victoria Art Collections M964.1.357
^A. P. Peabody (1885), Plutarch on the Delay of Divine Justice, Boston, Little, Brown; Plutarch (1992), "On God's Slowness to Punish", in Ian Kidd (ed.), Essays, translated by Robin Waterfield, Penguin, ISBN9780140445640
^Adversus Mathematicos ICap. 17 D.L. Blank, trans. (1998) p. 311. John Pairman Brown (1995), Israel and Hellas, vol. 3, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN9783110168822.
^The Greek μύλοι is plural, referring to two grindstones (i.e. quern and handstone) forming a single mill; the Latin translation by Gentian Hervetus (1569) renders this as mola "mill" in the singular: Est mola tarda dei, verum molit illa minutim.
^Gagné, Renaud (2013). Ancestral Fault in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 60. ISBN978-1-107-03980-3.
^Book 8 verse 15 Sibylline Oracles trans. M. S. Terry (1890) "Late will the mills of God grind the fine flour". On the date of c. AD 175 for book 8, verses 1–216 see: J. J. Collins "Sibylline Oracles (Second Century B.C.–Seventh Century A.D)" in: Charlesworth (ed.), Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1, Hendrickson Publishers (1983), 317–472 (here: p. 416).
^Erasmus of Rotterdam, Adagia 3382 (4.4.82) Sero molunt deorum molae: Plutarchus in commentario cui titulus Πέρι τὦν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου βραδέως τιμωρουμένων : Ὥστε οὐχ ὁρὦ τί χρήσιμον ἔνεστι τοῖς ὀψὲ δὴ τούτοις ἀλεῖν λεγομένοις μύλοις τὦν θεὦν, id est Itaque non video quidnam utilitatis insit istis deorum molis quae sero dicuntur molere. Caeterum ex his quae praecedunt eodem in loco, colligere licet dici solitum de his qui, licet serius, tamen aliquando poenas dant malefactorum vindici deo.
^Early New High German variants: Gots mül steht offt lang stil; Die götter malen oder scheren eim langsam, aber wol. Nina-Maria Klug, Das konfessionelle Flugblatt 1563–1580: Eine Studie zur historischen Semiotik und Textanalyse, volume 112 of Studia Linguistica Germanica, Walter de Gruyter, 2012 p. 189
^Hugh Rawson; Margaret Miner, eds. (2006). "God, 8". The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 289. ISBN978-0-19-516823-5.
French, A. L. (August 1974). "The mills of God and Shakespeare's early history plays". English Studies. 55 (4): 313–324. doi:10.1080/00138387408597630.
Hrynick, Tobias (19 April 2022). "The mills of god grind slowly: the Na'aman River milling dispute and the thirteenth-century hydraulic crisis in the Crusader States". Water History. 14: 61–83. doi:10.1007/s12685-022-00296-w. S2CID 248231852.
McAdam, Ian (1 March 2020). "Dickens, Longfellow, and the Mills of God". Notes and Queries. 67 (1): 108–109. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjz189.
Inge, W.R. (January 1925). "The Justice of God". The Expository Times. 36 (4): 170–173. doi:10.1177/001452462503600404. S2CID 170898832.
mills, proverbial, expression, mills, grinding, slowly, refers, notion, slow, certain, divine, retribution, roman, depiction, animal, driven, flour, mill, edge, mill, with, millstones, katherine, maltwood, portrayed, similar, arrangement, bronze, 1918, which, . The proverbial expression of the mills of God grinding slowly refers to the notion of slow but certain divine retribution Roman era depiction of an animal driven flour mill 1 An edge mill with two millstones Katherine Maltwood portrayed a similar arrangement in her bronze The Mills of God 1918 9 which was inspired by the suffering of the Great War 2 Contents 1 Ancient Greek usage 2 In 16th and 17th century Europe 3 Modern usage 4 References 5 Further reading 6 See alsoAncient Greek usage editPlutarch 1st century CE alludes to the metaphor as a then current adage in his Moralia De sera numinis vindicta On the Delay of Divine Vengeance Thus I do not see what use there is in those mills of the gods said to grind so late as to render punishment hard to be recognized and to make wickedness fearless 3 Plutarch no doubt here makes reference to a hexameter by an unknown poet cited by sceptic philosopher Sextus Empiricus 2nd century in his Adversus Grammaticos as a popular adage 4 Ὀpsὲ 8eῶn ἀleoysi myloi ἀleoysi dὲ lepta The millstones of the gods grind late but they grind fine 5 The same expression was invoked by Celsus in his lost True Discourse Defending the concept of ancestral fault Celsus reportedly quoted a priest of Apollo or of Zeus Ὀpsὲ fhsi 8eῶn ἀleoysi myloi kἆϛ paidwn paῖdas toi ken metopis8e genwntai The mills of the gods grind slowly he says even To children s children and to those who are born after them 6 The Sibylline Oracles c 175 have Sed mola postremo pinset divina farinam but the divine mill will at last grind the flour 7 In 16th and 17th century Europe editThe proverb was in frequent use in the Protestant Reformation often in the Latin translation Sero molunt deorum molae due to Erasmus of Rotterdam Adagia 1500 8 but also in German translation 9 The expression was anthologised in English translation by George Herbert in his collection of proverbs entitled Jacula Prudentum 1652 as God s mill grinds slow but sure no 743 German epigrammatist Friedrich von Logau in his Sinngedichte c 1654 composed an extended variant of the saying under the title Gottliche Rache divine retribution 10 Gottes Muhlen mahlen langsam mahlen aber trefflich klein ob aus Langmut er sich saumet bringt mit Scharf er alles ein translated into English by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Retribution Poetic Aphorisms 1846 11 Though the mills of God grind slowly Yet they grind exceeding small Though with patience He stands waiting With exactness grinds He all Modern usage editArthur Conan Doyle alluded to the proverb in his very first Sherlock Holmes adventure A Study in Scarlet The allusion is found in the fourth chapter of the second part in a scene in which the character John Ferrier is confronted by two of the Mormon characters Both of them nodded to Ferrier as he entered and the one in the rocking chair commenced the conversation Maybe you don t know us he said This here is the son of Elder Drebber and I m Joseph Stangerson who travelled with you in the desert when the Lord stretched out His hand and gathered you into the true fold As He will all the nations in His own good time said the other in a nasal voice He grindeth slowly but exceeding small John Ferrier bowed coldly He had guessed who his visitors were Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet 1886 emphasis added The proverb was used by Agatha Christie in her novel Hercule Poirot s Christmas as a person quoted it when they saw the corpse of a man who had lived an evil life It was also referred to by W Somerset Maugham in the novel The Moon and Sixpence wherein it is used somewhat piously by a family member to imply a certain justice in the demise of the central character Charles Strickland Then I told them what I had learned about Charles Strickland in Tahiti I thought it unnecessary to say anything of Ata and her boy but for the rest I was as accurate as I could be When I had narrated his lamentable death I ceased For a minute or two we were all silent Then Robert Strickland struck a match and lit a cigarette The mills of God grind slowly but they grind exceeding small he said somewhat impressively W Somerset Maugham The Moon and Sixpence 1919 During the Second World War both Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt quoted Longfellow when promising retribution for the extermination of the Jews 12 References edit Urnholder of the miller Publius Nonius Zethus 1st century C E found in Ostia Antica now in the Museum of the Vatican Rosemary Alicia Brown 1981 Katherine Emma Maltwood PDF Victoria Sono Nice University of Victoria Art Collections M964 1 357 A P Peabody 1885 Plutarch on the Delay of Divine Justice Boston Little Brown Plutarch 1992 On God s Slowness to Punish in Ian Kidd ed Essays translated by Robin Waterfield Penguin ISBN 9780140445640 Adversus Mathematicos I Cap 17 D L Blank trans 1998 p 311 John Pairman Brown 1995 Israel and Hellas vol 3 Walter de Gruyter ISBN 9783110168822 The Greek myloi is plural referring to two grindstones i e quern and handstone forming a single mill the Latin translation by Gentian Hervetus 1569 renders this as mola mill in the singular Est mola tarda dei verum molit illa minutim Gagne Renaud 2013 Ancestral Fault in Ancient Greece Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 60 ISBN 978 1 107 03980 3 Book 8 verse 15 Sibylline Oracles trans M S Terry 1890 Late will the mills of God grind the fine flour On the date of c AD 175 for book 8 verses 1 216 see J J Collins Sibylline Oracles Second Century B C Seventh Century A D in Charlesworth ed Old Testament Pseudepigrapha vol 1 Hendrickson Publishers 1983 317 472 here p 416 Erasmus of Rotterdam Adagia 3382 4 4 82 Sero molunt deorum molae Plutarchus in commentario cui titulus Peri tὦn ὑpὸ toῦ 8eioy bradews timwroymenwn Ὥste oὐx ὁrὦ ti xrhsimon ἔnesti toῖs ὀpsὲ dὴ toytois ἀleῖn legomenois mylois tὦn 8eὦn id est Itaque non video quidnam utilitatis insit istis deorum molis quae sero dicuntur molere Caeterum ex his quae praecedunt eodem in loco colligere licet dici solitum de his qui licet serius tamen aliquando poenas dant malefactorum vindici deo Early New High German variants Gots mul steht offt lang stil Die gotter malen oder scheren eim langsam aber wol Nina Maria Klug Das konfessionelle Flugblatt 1563 1580 Eine Studie zur historischen Semiotik und Textanalyse volume 112 of Studia Linguistica Germanica Walter de Gruyter 2012 p 189 Gottliche Rache Sinngedichte III 2 24 Hugh Rawson Margaret Miner eds 2006 God 8 The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations Oxford Oxford University Press p 289 ISBN 978 0 19 516823 5 Nicholson Baker 2012 The Way the World Works Simon and Schuster p 264 ISBN 9781471112836Further reading editFrench A L August 1974 The mills of God and Shakespeare s early history plays English Studies 55 4 313 324 doi 10 1080 00138387408597630 Hrynick Tobias 19 April 2022 The mills of god grind slowly the Na aman River milling dispute and the thirteenth century hydraulic crisis in the Crusader States Water History 14 61 83 doi 10 1007 s12685 022 00296 w S2CID 248231852 McAdam Ian 1 March 2020 Dickens Longfellow and the Mills of God Notes and Queries 67 1 108 109 doi 10 1093 notesj gjz189 Inge W R January 1925 The Justice of God The Expository Times 36 4 170 173 doi 10 1177 001452462503600404 S2CID 170898832 See also edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Justice nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Retribution Ancestral fault Justice delayed is justice denied Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mills of God amp oldid 1212777262, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
