Benjamin Jowett, letter (28 May 1865), quoted in Evelyn Abbott and Lewis Campbell, The Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett, M.A. Vol. I (1897), p. 411
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I send you some books, one very good book among them, the works of a Saint, and one very bad book, Fable of the Bees—one of those books which are condemned equally by the world and the Church; by the world because it is partly true, and by the Church because it is partly false, or vice versa—one of those books which delight in turning out the seamy side of society to the light. (Don't read it if you object to the coarseness of parts.)

— Benjamin Jowett on Bernard Mandeville

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I send you some books, one very good book among them, the works of a Saint, and one very bad book, Fable of the Bees—one of those books which are condemned equally by the world and the Church; by the world because it is partly true, and by the Church because it is partly false, or vice versa—one of those books which delight in turning out the seamy side of society to the light. (Don't read it if you object to the coarseness of parts.)" in the context of "Benjamin Jowett, letter (28 May 1865), quoted in Evelyn Abbott and Lewis Campbell, The Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett, M.A. Vol. I (1897), p. 411" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Bernard Mandeville" (Quotes about Mandeville) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Benjamin Jowett

About Benjamin Jowett

Benjamin Jowett (15 April 1817 – 1 October 1893) was a theologian and classical scholar who became one of the great public figures of Victorian England. He was Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford from 1855, Master of Balliol College, Oxford from 1870, and Vice-Chancellor of the university from 1882.