--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the first ages they were wise men; in…" description: "\"“In the first ages they were wise men; in the middle age, madmen; in these latter ages, cunning men: in the earliest time they were honest; in the midd..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/518/daniel-defoe-1971_a-system-of-magic_in-the-first-ages-they-were-wise-men-in_441717.jpg" --- # In the first ages they were wise men; in the middle age… ![“In the first ages they were wise men; in the middle age, madmen; in these latter ages, cunning men: in the earliest time they were honest; in the middle time, rogues; in these last times, fools: at first they dealt with nature; then with the Devil; and now not with the Devil, or with nature…” quote by Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/518/daniel-defoe-1971_a-system-of-magic_in-the-first-ages-they-were-wise-men-in_441717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/518/daniel-defoe-1971_a-system-of-magic_in-the-first-ages-they-were-wise-men-in_441717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/518/daniel-defoe-1971_a-system-of-magic_in-the-first-ages-they-were-wise-men-in_441717.jpg) > ““In the first ages they were wise men; in the middle age, madmen; in these latter ages, cunning men: in the earliest time they were honest; in the middle time, rogues; in these last times, fools: at first they dealt with nature; then with the Devil; and now not with the Devil, or with nature either: in the first ages the magicians were wiser than the people; in the second age, wickeder than the people; and in our age, the people are both wiser and wickeder than the magicians.”” [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature cycles through wisdom, madness, cunning, honesty, deceit, and folly as societies evolve, reflecting changing values and power dynamics. **In simple terms:** People change over time, becoming both wiser and more deceitful. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance wisdom and deceit in modern life. Themes history human nature wisdom deceit societal change Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political analysis - personal ethics - leadership decisions - media literacy - education curricula Key Concepts philosophy psychology cultural evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do we distinguish genuine wisdom from cunning deceit? - What role does power play in shaping societal values? A Different Perspective Modern complexity can blur the line between wisdom and deceit, making discernment harder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ages Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-cunning-3873217/) [Ages Magicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-magicians-3873219/) [Cunning Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-men-445060/) [Magicians Wiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magicians-wiser-3873218/) [Middle age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-age/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-men/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/nothing-doth-more-hurt-in-a-state-than-that-cunning-men-pass-for-wise/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Of the women are to blame for causing girl \| boy born so why all the credit to the man so sly and cunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/of-the-women-are-to-blame-for-causing-girl-boy-born-so-why-all-the/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [He that is rich is wise, And all men learned poverty despise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/he-that-is-rich-is-wise-and-all-men-learned-poverty-despise/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [Is it possible Hanukkah doesn't inspire folksy songs? Plot lines may be a part. The Christmas story has a lot of material to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/is-it-possible-hanukkah-doesn-t-inspire-folksy-songs-plot-lines-may/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [Controversy equalizes fools and wise men in the same way - and the fools know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-sr-2/controversy-equalizes-fools-and-wise-men-in-the-same-way-and-the/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-sr-2/) > [“You are what you believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/you-are-what-you-believe/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [The child who dwells inside us trusts that there are wise men somewhere who know the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czeslaw-milosz/the-child-who-dwells-inside-us-trusts-that-there-are-wise-men/) [Czeslaw Milosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czeslaw-milosz/) > [“Wise men think and speak alike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/wise-men-think-and-speak-alike/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. 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Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/all-men-make-mistakes-but-only-wise-men-learn-from-their-mistakes/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of fools, but fools do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wise-men-profit-more-from-fools-than-fools-from-wise-men-for-the-wise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [“Wise men will apply their remedies to vices, not to names; to the causes of evil which are permanent, not to the occasional organs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/wise-men-will-apply-their-remedies-to-vices-not-to-names-to-the/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) ## More by Daniel Defoe > [“Strah od opasnosti je deset tisuća puta snažniji nego sama opasnost kad se pojavi pred očima.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/strah-od-opasnosti-je-deset-tisu-a-puta-sna-niji-nego-sama-opasnost/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“He told me it was for men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of aspiring, superior fortune on the other, who when abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/he-told-me-it-was-for-men-of-desperate-fortunes-on-one-hand-or-of/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/from-this-moment-i-began-to-conclude-in-my-mind-that-it-was-possible/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [Wit is the Fruitful Womb where Thoughts conceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/wit-is-the-fruitful-womb-where-thoughts-conceive/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [Wherever God erects a house of prayer the Devil always builds a chapel there; And 't will be found, upon examination, the latter has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/wherever-god-erects-a-house-of-prayer-the-devil-always-builds-a/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [Wit, like the Belly, if it be not fed, Will starve the Members, and distract the Head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/wit-like-the-belly-if-it-be-not-fed-will-starve-the-members-and/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow above an acre of ground. 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However, the stages of my life - motherhood, middle age, etc. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/none-of-my-own-experiences-ever-finds-its-way-into-my-work-however/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [As a precocious teen I dreamed of being Graham Greene. Well, as it turned out, I never wrote a great novel, sadly, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/as-a-precocious-teen-i-dreamed-of-being-graham-greene-well-as-it/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [“No matter how you tell yourself It's what we all go through Those lines are pretty hard to take When they're staring back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/no-matter-how-you-tell-yourself-it-s-what-we-all-go-through-those/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [“They are not brave, the days when we are twenty-one. 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