The Jester’s Sermon. Compare: "Life is a jest and all things show it; I thought so once, but now I know it", John Gay, My own Epitaph; "Life is an empty dream", Robert Browning, Paracelsus'', ii.; "Life ’s but a series of trifles at best", Anonymous.
“
Man’s life is but a jest,
A dream, a shadow, bubble, air, a vapor at the best.
— George Walter Thornbury
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Man’s life is but a jest,
A dream, a shadow, bubble, air, a vapor at the best." in the context of "The Jester’s Sermon. Compare: "Life is a jest and all things show it; I thought so once, but now I know it", John Gay, My own Epitaph; "Life is an empty dream", Robert Browning, Paracelsus'', ii.; "Life ’s but a series of trifles at best", Anonymous." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "George Walter Thornbury" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About George Walter Thornbury
George Walter Thornbury (13 November 1828 – June 11 1876) was an English author. He was the son of a London solicitor. A journalist by profession, he also wrote verse, novels, art criticism and popular historical and topographical sketches. He began his career in 1845 with contributions to Bristol Journal and wrote later mainly for the Athenaeum. He is said to have died in a lunatic asylum.
About George Walter Thornbury
George Walter Thornbury (13 November 1828 – June 11 1876) was an English author. He was the son of a London solicitor. A journalist by profession, he also wrote verse, novels, art criticism and popular historical and topographical sketches. He began his career in 1845 with contributions to Bristol Journal and wrote later mainly for the Athenaeum. He is said to have died in a lunatic asylum.
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