Vol. 1, Chap. 48. Compare: "He had a head to contrive, a tongue to persuade, and a hand to execute any mischief", Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (on Hampden), History of the Rebellion, Vol. iii, Book vii, Section 84.
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In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.
— Edward Gibbon
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute." in the context of "Vol. 1, Chap. 48. Compare: "He had a head to contrive, a tongue to persuade, and a hand to execute any mischief", Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (on Hampden), History of the Rebellion, Vol. iii, Book vii, Section 84." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Edward Gibbon" (Quotes, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire: Volume 1 (1776): For more from this see the article The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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.
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