When the Sea or Waters are put to signify a people or aggregate of nations, then by Islands are meant Cities or Temples by Islands the Courts of Temples for the building of Temples or Altars. By merchant Shipps Buildings, for commerce & profit such as are (trading towns to Nations,) Shops to Trades-men & Temples to Priests. – to Priests. By a navy of war-ships an Army. By rivers ( trains | Armies of men running to & fro such as are Armies [or the afflux of fforreigners]. By overflowing ffloods = Invasions. By the drying up of waters the decay of military strength. 25 By Reeds & Flaggs men By fountains of water cities & towns & by ffishes armies, or people . [Sometimes waters signify riches & then the Sea & Rivers must be interpreted accordingly.]

— Isaac Newton

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "When the Sea or Waters are put to signify a people or aggregate of nations, then by Islands are meant Cities or Temples by Islands the Courts of Temples for the building of Temples or Altars. By merchant Shipps Buildings, for commerce & profit such as are (trading towns to Nations,) Shops to Trades-men & Temples to Priests. – to Priests. By a navy of war-ships an Army. By rivers ( trains | Armies of men running to & fro such as are Armies [or the afflux of fforreigners]. By overflowing ffloods = Invasions. By the drying up of waters the decay of military strength. 25 By Reeds & Flaggs men By fountains of water cities & towns & by ffishes armies, or people . [Sometimes waters signify riches & then the Sea & Rivers must be interpreted accordingly.]" in the context of "" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Isaac Newton

About Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton (January 4, 1643 – March 31, 1727 or in Old Style: December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1727) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists and among the most influential scientists of all time. He was a key figure in the philosophical revolution known as the Enlightenment. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, established classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing infinitesimal calculus.