All things come to those who wait

What's the meaning of the phrase 'All things come to those who wait'? A literal meaning, advocating patience.

What's the origin of the phrase 'All things come to those who wait'?

This proverbial saying was used by the English poet Lady Mary Montgomerie Currie (1843-1905), under her pseudonym of Violet Fane, in her poem Tout vient a qui sait attendre:

ALL hoped-for things will come to you

Who have the strength to watch and wait,

Our longings spur the steeds of Fate,

This has been said by one who knew. ... 'Ah, all things come to those who wait,'

(I say these words to make me glad),

But something answers soft and sad,

'They come, but often come too late.'

The saying 'all (good) things come to those (who/that) wait' is frequently attributed to Fane. While this is exactly the type of uplifting exhortation to be expressed by a Victorian gentlewoman, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations disputes her authorship and dates the proverb as "early 16th century". I've no reason to doubt the ODQ but, sadly, they offer no citation to check against.

See also: the List of Proverbs.