Ibsen quote - what play?

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Murray Gell-Mann is quoted as saying:

For me, the whole question of futurology is covered in a play by Ibsen, in which an unconventional historian has written a book, the last few chapters of which are on the future. Another more conventional historian says, “But what can you possibly know about the future?” and he replies, “Well, we don’t know about the future, but there’s a thing or two to be said about it just the same.”

I’ve searched for the quote and found nothing, which may mean that Gell-Mann was paraphrasing or just not remembering it properly. Or that I haven’t searched deep enough.

Anyway, does anyone know what play this is from, the proper quote, and the context?

[friggae]

Tesman. With the future! But, good heavens, we know nothing of the future!

Lovborg. No; but there is a thing or two to be said about it all the same.

This quote is from Hedda Gabler.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/hddgb10.txt

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Thanks friggae. Did you happen to know this or just go do a Gutenberg search? I was hunting around in Enemy of the State because that sounded as if the words were appropriate there, without luck.

I see that as so often happens, memory changed the remembered phrases into more modern language. Still, it’s a great exchange for anyone concerned about creating a future rather than stumbling into one.

[friggae]

I did not recognize the quote, but chose to search Hedda first on pure luck. Perhaps the quote you initially gave was from a different translation from the Norwegian? Thanks - I haven’t read this play since high school, I think I’ll reread it!