For, I remember very well, in a discourse one day with the king; when I happened to say, there were several thousand books among us, written upon the art of government; it gave him (directly contrary to my intention) a very mean opinion of our understandings. He professed both to abominate and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a prince or a minister. He could not tell what I meant by secrets of State, where an enemy or some rival nation were not in the case. He confined the knowledge of governing within very narrow bounds; to common sense and reason, to justice and lenity, to the speedy determination of civil and criminal causes; with some other obvious topicks which are not worth considering. And, he gave it for his opinion; that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before; would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.
The learning of this people is very defective; consisting only in morality, history, poetry and mathematicks . . .
-Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, from Chapter VII in A Voyage To Brobdingnag
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