Our two parties are more interested in guaranteeing their own survival than in helping the country to flourish
Eton College’s most admirable attribute, I’ve long thought, is its motto. A Latin phrase, but not one that would have been familiar to the Romans, Floreat Etona translates as “May Eton flourish”. Contractually speaking, that’s watertight. No bombast and no virtue-signalling. Good luck anyone saying that particular institution has hypocritically betrayed its aims or principles. This place is about this place. It’s like someone proclaiming: “I’m all about me!” – it steals the thunder of any accusations of selfishness.
On consulting the college’s website, however, I discovered that Floreat Etona is not, strictly speaking, its motto. “Eton’s motto is often thought to be Floreat Etona,” it says, “… but Esto perpetua (“May it last for ever”) came into usage if anything a little earlier.” I’m not sure what the “if anything” is doing for that sentence. I think if anything it’s superfluous. That’s to say, I think it’s a superfluous “if anything”. If anything. The website carries on: “In fact, neither phrase is officially a motto; they are unofficial creations that, over time, have stuck.”
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