Addenda to I of Astronomicon of Manilius, Lib I. (The Richards Press, [1903]) p. 105. 'p. xxii II. 27 sqq. I did not praise Berchert's accuracy, because accuracy is a duty and not a virtue ; but if I could have foreseen the shameful carelessness of Breiter and van Wageningen I should have said with emphasis, as I do now, that he was very accurate indeed.
“
accuracy is a duty and not a virtue
— A. E. Housman
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "accuracy is a duty and not a virtue" in the context of "Addenda to I of Astronomicon of Manilius, Lib I. (The Richards Press, [1903]) p. 105. 'p. xxii II. 27 sqq. I did not praise Berchert's accuracy, because accuracy is a duty and not a virtue ; but if I could have foreseen the shameful carelessness of Breiter and van Wageningen I should have said with emphasis, as I do now, that he was very accurate indeed." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "A. E. Housman" (Quotes, M. Manilii Astronomica (1903–1930; 2nd ed. 1937; 5 vols.))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About A. E. Housman
Alfred Edward Housman (26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936), usually known as A.E. Housman, was an English poet and classical scholar, now best known for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad.
About A. E. Housman
Alfred Edward Housman (26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936), usually known as A.E. Housman, was an English poet and classical scholar, now best known for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad.
View all quotes →