The mildest manner'd man that ever scuttled ship or cut a throat

"The kindest, gentlest man that ever scuttled a ship or slit a throat"

Where does that turn of phrase come from? The instances I can find in Google

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22man+that+ever%22+%22slit+a+throat%22

don't seem to refer to the origin of the phrase, so I can't work out about whom it was first said...

Update: Thanks, rosenkavalier! Have corrected title of the post.

Duck

I just can't stop looking at this... ( worksafe picture )