The greatness of an estate, in bulk and territory, doth fall under measure; and the greatness of finances and revenue, doth fall under computation. The population may appear by musters; and the number and greatness of cities and towns by cards and maps. But yet there is not any thing amongst civil affairs more subject to error, than the right valuation and true judgment concerning the power and forces of an estate.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Estate size and wealth can be measured, but judging an estate's true power is prone to error despite available data.
- In plain terms
- You can count land and money, but guessing a nation's real strength is hard and often wrong.
- What can you take from it?
- Quantitative data exists, but judging true power remains highly error-prone.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What data do you trust for measuring power?
- Why is judging strength so difficult?
Another view
Power can sometimes be quantified more accurately through modern metrics.
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