To lend, or to spend, or to give in;
But to beg or to borrow, or to get a man's own,
It is the very worst world that ever was known." - Meaning and context.">
Epigram, sometimes attributed to John Bromfield
“

It is a good world to live in,
To lend, or to spend, or to give in;
But to beg or to borrow, or to get a man's own,
It is the very worst world that ever was known.

— John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is a good world to live in,
To lend, or to spend, or to give in;
But to beg or to borrow, or to get a man's own,
It is the very worst world that ever was known." in the context of "Epigram, sometimes attributed to John Bromfield" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester" (Quotes, Other) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

About John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1 April 1647 – 26 July 1680) was an English nobleman, a friend of King Charles II of England, and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry.