Meaning of “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a…”

An Essay on Criticism, Part III; Pope joins good nature and good sense before contrasting ordinary human error with the higher moral act of forgiveness.

1 Corinthians 13:4 in the King James Version; this is the opening clause of the verse.

All’s Well That Ends Well, Act I, Scene 1; the Countess of Roussillon gives Bertram the counsel “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” Verified against Wikisource’s 1910 facsimile transcription of the 1623 First Folio (folio spelling “Loue all, trust a few, Doe wrong to none”); direct evidence resolves to the reviewed Act I transcription.

Dombey and Son, Chapter 16, Project Gutenberg #821. The words are associated with the dying child Paul and his sister Florence; they are fictional dialogue, not Dickens autobiography.

The Life of Reason, Reason in Society; the sentence opens a discussion of family bonds and reciprocal interests.

Jo's Boys, Chapter 4, Project Gutenberg #3499. Spoken by Mrs Jo while urging Dan to remember his mother; it reflects fictional dialogue and Alcott's narrative world.