A short chain of dark and gold links, a separate gold link and a dried rose on a pale blue surface.

Original artwork, not a still

Cato · 1712

Joseph Addison

A day, an hour, of virtuous liberty Is worth a whole eternity in bondage.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The lines argue that a single day, or even an hour, of free and honourable living outweighs endless time spent in servitude. Freedom exercised with virtue is treated as worth more than length of life, so quality of freedom outranks sheer duration.

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