Smartyfair
It is verily this degradation of the operative into a machine, which, more than any other evil of the times, is leading the mass of the nations everywhere into vain, incoherent, destructive struggling for a freedom of which they cannot explain the nature to themselves.

Where these words come from

How sure this is
95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
The Stones of Venice, “The Nature of Gothic” (1853); Exact wording and attribution checked. Critique of industrial labour and exact mechanical finish, in a discussion of craftsmanship.
Work
The Stones of Venice, “The Nature of Gothic” (1853)
Sources checked
  • gutenberg.orgChecked using manual, 21 October 2026The Stones of Venice, “The Nature of Gothic” (1853); Exact wording and attribution checked. Critique of industrial labour and exact mechanical finish, in a discussion of craftsmanship.

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