Ogden Nash, maybe?
In Lord of the Rings Gildor said, “That Gandalf should be late, does not bode well. But it is said: Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. The choice is yours: to go or wait.”
So possibly our CG quote was a spoof on Tolkien’s words. I don’t know. I just thought it fit the irritation I have for our government right now.