Thomas Macaulay, 'Milton', The Edinburgh Review (August 1825), in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to The Edinburgh Review, Vol. I (1843), p. 7
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If Shakspeare had written a book on the motives of human actions, it is by no means certain that it would have been a good one. It is extremely improbable that it would have contained half so much able reasoning on the subject as is to be found in the Fable of the Bees.
— Thomas Macaulay
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If Shakspeare had written a book on the motives of human actions, it is by no means certain that it would have been a good one. It is extremely improbable that it would have contained half so much able reasoning on the subject as is to be found in the Fable of the Bees." in the context of "Thomas Macaulay, 'Milton', The Edinburgh Review (August 1825), in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to The Edinburgh Review, Vol. I (1843), p. 7" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
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
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About Bernard Mandeville
Bernard Mandeville (or Bernard de Mandeville) (baptised November 20 1670, died January 21 1733) was a Dutch physician, poet and social philosopher who settled in England. Most of his works, including his controversial satire The Fable of the Bees, were written in English.
About Bernard Mandeville
Bernard Mandeville (or Bernard de Mandeville) (baptised November 20 1670, died January 21 1733) was a Dutch physician, poet and social philosopher who settled in England. Most of his works, including his controversial satire The Fable of the Bees, were written in English.
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