Edward Gibbon, letter to Lord Sheffield (5 February 1791), quoted in J. E. Norton (ed.), The Letters of Edward Gibbon: Volume Three 1784-1794 (1956), p. 216
“
Burke's book is a most admirable medication against the French disease, which has made too much progress even in this happy country. I admire his eloquence, I approve his politics, I adore his chivalry, and I can even forgive his superstition.
— Edward Gibbon on Edmund Burke
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Burke's book is a most admirable medication against the French disease, which has made too much progress even in this happy country. I admire his eloquence, I approve his politics, I adore his chivalry, and I can even forgive his superstition." in the context of "Edward Gibbon, letter to Lord Sheffield (5 February 1791), quoted in J. E. Norton (ed.), The Letters of Edward Gibbon: Volume Three 1784-1794 (1956), p. 216" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Edmund Burke" (Quotes about Burke: Sorted alphabetically by author, G)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (1737-05-08 or 1737-04-27, O.S. – 1794-01-16) was arguably the most important historian since the time of the ancient Roman Tacitus. Gibbon's magnum opus, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published between 1776 and 1788, is a groundbreaking work of early modern erudition, the broad influence of which endures to this day.
About Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (1737-05-08 or 1737-04-27, O.S. – 1794-01-16) was arguably the most important historian since the time of the ancient Roman Tacitus. Gibbon's magnum opus, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published between 1776 and 1788, is a groundbreaking work of early modern erudition, the broad influence of which endures to this day.
View all quotes →