Edward Bulwer-Lytton was not so lucky with his editor, who was also his wife.
His most famous phrase is “The pen is mightier than the sword”. This appeared in his play about Cardinal Richelieu called ‘ Richelieu ; or the Conspiracy ’, first performed in 1839.
I have been doing some intense and very thorough research into this and managed to locate his original scribblings. They are very revealing.
He actually wrote “The penis. Mightier than the sword!” after a particularly frantic night with the missus.
On the original document there is an asterisk after this phrase and a note at the bottom of the page, in what I assume is the hand of Mrs Bulwer-Lytton. It says – “He believed me when I said size doesn’t matter – poor deluded fool”. I suppose she decided to change the original thoughts of her lord and master to save ridicule.
The TG would never do that to me. (I wouldn’t even try, Peabrain dear. [smiles sweetly] Lo,TG Ed)
[During my research I also came across the intriguing possibility that Noddy’s best friend might not have been called Big Ears but Bill – there was a reference to a ‘Big Willy’ that never appeared in the published books].
