Stephen Grellet:
(28 October 1772 – 16 November 1855)
A prominent French-American Quaker missionary.
I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
– ‘Life is brief and unrepeatable’.
– Each encounter with another person may be a ‘one-time opportunity’ to do good.
– Therefore, acts of kindness should not be postponed.
– Good intentions are not enough; they should be turned into action ‘now’.
In simpler words:
> “If I can help someone, I should do it today, because I may never have this chance again.”
It is a moral encouragement toward ‘immediate kindness, compassion, and service’.
✍️ Common Form of the Quotation:
> “I shall pass through this world but once.
> Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.
> Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
There are many small variations, such as:
> “I expect to pass through this world but once…”
or
> “Any good thing therefore that I can do…”
👤 Author:
The quotation is ‘commonly attributed to Stephen Grellet’, whose original French name was:
> Étienne de Grellet du Mabillier
> 1773–1855
He was a French-born nobleman who later became a ‘Quaker missionary’. After moving to the English-speaking world, he was known as Stephen Grellet.
📚 Origin and Attribution:
The saying has long been associated with Stephen Grellet / Étienne de Grellet and is often called his “motto” or “prayer.”
⚠️ There is an important caution:
– The exact wording does ‘not appear to be securely documented in Grellet’s own published writings’.
– The quotation circulated in various forms after his lifetime.
– Because of this, many quotation scholars treat it as ’traditionally attributed’ to him rather than definitively authored by him.
🕊️ Who Was Stephen Grellet? Stephen Grellet was:
– Born in France as Étienne de Grellet du Mabillier
– A member of an aristocratic French family
– A refugee from the French Revolution
– Later a convert to the “Religious Society of Friends”, or Quakers
– A missionary who traveled widely in Europe and America
– Known for his emphasis on charity, prison reform, and spiritual service
The spirit of the quotation fits very well with Quaker values: ‘simplicity, compassion, service, and moral responsibility’.
