I attach an e-mail exchange I recently had. Perhaps readers of AV might be able to help.
[A reader in Texas]--Mr Derbyshire, do you know who said something like: "Whenever I see a friend succeed, a little part of me dies"? It’s either Oscar Wilde or Samuel Pepys, unless it’s someone else. I thought you might know. I couldn’t find it on Google. Thank you very much.
[My reply]--_Sounds_ Wildean, but he’s one of those people who get "stuck" with all sorts of clever remarks, like Mark Twain & Churchill. It’s often very hard to track these things down. Anyway, it’s not in either of my dicts of quots. And it’s a bit "off" for Wilde -- he was very conscious of, & very pleased with, his own success. My guess _in vacuo_ would have been Max Beerbohm. I _do_ however know who said: "I have never for many years heard of a friend’s death without envying him." That was Goethe.
THE WINNING ANSWER:
I’m fairly certain the quote is from Gore Vidal.Sincerely,
Cristina Concepcion
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