Archived discussion

Could someone please tell me the origin (author) of the phrase, "There' s none so blind as those who won't see. ".
Sincerely,
Bede Cleary

Jonathan Swift

Is the wording correct? I can't find the quote on the usual sources. I seem to remember it as "There's none so blind as he who will not see." which makes a tidy line of iambic pentameter. "... won't see" sounds clunky at the end. (That doesn't mean it isn't correct, of course....)

The archives have "There are none so blind as those who will not see": www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 5 messages 1615.html (link below).

Here are some citations arranged chronologically:

Who is so deafe, or so blynde, as is hee, That wilfully will nother hear nor see? (Heywood, _Dialogue of Proverbs_, 1546)
Who is blynder than he yt wyl nat se. (Boorde, _Breviary of Helthe_, 1547)
There is no manne . so blynd as he that will not see, nor so dull as he that wyll not vnderstande. (Cranmer, _Answer to Gardiner_, 1551)
But none so blind as he that will not see. (Heylin, _Examen Historicum_, 1659)
Who so blind as he that will not see? (Ray, _English proverbs_, 1670)
Ther's none so blind As those that will not see. (_Westminster Drollery_, 1671)
You know, there's none so blind as they that won't see. (Swift, _Polite Conversation_, 1738)
"None are so blind as those that won't see," whisper the wicked. (Sala, _Twice Round the Clock_, 1859)