Lord Orrery to Thomas Carte (5 August 1752), quoted in The Countess of Cork and Orrery (ed.), The Orrery Papers: Volume II (1903), p. 116
“
[T]o say truth, we are a declining People: destined, I fear, to absolute destruction. We have had our Day. It ended with Queen Ann. Since her time all has been Confusion and Discontent at Home; Folly and False Politics abroad.
— Lord Orrery
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[T]o say truth, we are a declining People: destined, I fear, to absolute destruction. We have had our Day. It ended with Queen Ann. Since her time all has been Confusion and Discontent at Home; Folly and False Politics abroad." in the context of "Lord Orrery to Thomas Carte (5 August 1752), quoted in The Countess of Cork and Orrery (ed.), The Orrery Papers: Volume II (1903), p. 116" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Anne of Great Britain" (Quotes about Queen Anne)
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 Anne of Great Britain
Anne of Great Britain (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.
About Anne of Great Britain
Anne of Great Britain (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.
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