Where the words come from

Every oracle line is a short quotation from one of these five editions. All five authors died before 1955, so every word is public domain in Australia. Nothing here was written by a visitor.

• Benjamin Franklin

  Franklin's Way to Wealth; or, “Poor Richard Improved”. Gathering the Poor Richard's Almanack maxims (1732–1758); first published 1758.

  Died 1790 · Project Gutenberg ebook #43855 · Read the edition · 9 lines in the draw

• William Blake

  The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (the “Proverbs of Hell”). Etched c. 1790–1793.

  Died 1827 · Project Gutenberg ebook #45315 · Read the edition · 10 lines in the draw

• Oscar Wilde

  Intentions and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Intentions (essays, 1891); Dorian Gray (1890, revised 1891), including its preface.

  Died 1900 · Project Gutenberg ebook #887 · Read the edition · 8 lines in the draw

• Lewis Carroll

  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. 1865 and 1871.

  Died 1898 · Project Gutenberg ebook #11 · Read the edition · 9 lines in the draw

• Confucius, translated by James Legge

  The Chinese Classics, Volume 1: Confucian Analects. Legge's translation, first published 1861. Legge died 1897.

  Died 479 BC · Project Gutenberg ebook #4094 · Read the edition · 7 lines in the draw