John Adams, Letter from Philadelphia, 8 July 1777 to Abigail Adams, quoted in Familiar letters of John Adams and his wife Abigail Adams, during the revolution, 1876
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Let the cymbals of popularity tinkle still. Let the butterfiles of fame glitter with their wings. I shall envy neither their music nor their colors.
— John Adams on Fame
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Let the cymbals of popularity tinkle still. Let the butterfiles of fame glitter with their wings. I shall envy neither their music nor their colors." in the context of "John Adams, Letter from Philadelphia, 8 July 1777 to Abigail Adams, quoted in Familiar letters of John Adams and his wife Abigail Adams, during the revolution, 1876" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Fame" (A)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About John Adams
John Adams (30 October 1735 – 4 July 1826) was an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second president of the United States (1797–1801), the first vice president (1789–1797), and as a Founding Father was a leader of American independence from the British Empire. Adams was a political theorist in the Age of Enlightenment who promoted republicanism and a strong central government. His innovative ideas were frequently published. He was also a dedicated diarist and correspondent, particularly with his wife and key advisor Abigail. He was the father of John Quincy Adams.
About John Adams
John Adams (30 October 1735 – 4 July 1826) was an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second president of the United States (1797–1801), the first vice president (1789–1797), and as a Founding Father was a leader of American independence from the British Empire. Adams was a political theorist in the Age of Enlightenment who promoted republicanism and a strong central government. His innovative ideas were frequently published. He was also a dedicated diarist and correspondent, particularly with his wife and key advisor Abigail. He was the father of John Quincy Adams.
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