Wikiquote assigns this proverb to The Salt-Cellars, volume 1, page 89. A second quotation reference gives 1889, while Wikiquote’s section labels the collection 1885; the checked Google Books catalog confirms an 1889 edition but did not expose the passage. The wording is credibly associated with Spurgeon’s collection; direct page inspection and original authorship remain unconfirmed.
“By perseverance the snail reached the ark” Proverb collected by Charles Haddon Spurgeon in The Salt-Cellars; direct source-page inspection and original creator unconfirmed.
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? We couldn’t establish where this was first published, so there’s no rights status to give. Credit it as shown above — just don’t present it as public domain, and get permission for commercial or published reuse.
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In context
Evoking the world of Charles Haddon Spurgeon — British Baptist preacher. Theme: "By perseverance the snail reached the ark". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Wikiquote assigns this proverb to The Salt-Cellars, volume 1, page 89. A second quotation reference gives 1889, while Wikiquote’s section labels the collection 1885; the checked Google Books catalog confirms an 1889 edition but did not expose the passage. The wording is credibly associated with Spurgeon’s collection; direct page inspection and original authorship remain unconfirmed. Wikiquote source reference ↗
The original publication of this exact wording has not been established; no public-domain status is asserted.
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Context
The setting behind the words
The Salt-Cellars is a collection of proverbs with accompanying notes. Inclusion in that sort of collection documents use and transmission, not necessarily invention. Conflicting secondary edition dates are therefore kept visible rather than converted into a claimed first publication. Wikiquote source reference ↗
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a British Baptist preacher associated with London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle. His sermons and devotional books reached readers far beyond his congregation. Collections such as The Salt-Cellars also transmitted proverbs, so a phrase appearing in his books need not be his invention.
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Source consulted
Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Attribution discussed in Wikiquote source reference. Source and limits described above.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘By perseverance the snail reached the ark’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/by-perseverance-the-snail-reached-the-ark/