Burke's response when someone commented on how long it took the British peace envoy Lord Malmesbury to reach Paris (c. 22 November 1796), quoted in F. P. Lock, Edmund Burke, Volume II: 1784–1797 (2006), p. 563, n. 63
“
Oh! Sir—people upon their knees get on very slowly.
— Edmund Burke
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Oh! Sir—people upon their knees get on very slowly." in the context of "Burke's response when someone commented on how long it took the British peace envoy Lord Malmesbury to reach Paris (c. 22 November 1796), quoted in F. P. Lock, Edmund Burke, Volume II: 1784–1797 (2006), p. 563, n. 63" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Edmund Burke" (Quotes, 1790s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was a British and Irish statesman and philosopher. Born in Dublin, Burke served as a member of parliament (MP) between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons of Great Britain with the Whig Party after moving to London in 1750.
About Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was a British and Irish statesman and philosopher. Born in Dublin, Burke served as a member of parliament (MP) between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons of Great Britain with the Whig Party after moving to London in 1750.
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