"Plagiarists, at least, have the merit of preservation"

In this quote, Benjamin Disraeli is making a tongue-in-cheek comment about plagiarism. He is recommending that, although plagiarism is incorrect, plagiarists a minimum of have the merit of maintaining the initial work. This implies that plagiarists are not necessarily developing anything brand-new, however rather taking something that already exists and using it as their own. Disraeli is implying that plagiarists are not always creative, however they are at least maintaining the original work.

Disraeli's quote can also be translated as a criticism of those who do not offer credit to the original authors of the work they are plagiarizing. He is suggesting that plagiarists are not giving credit to the original authors, but they are at least protecting the original work. This suggests that plagiarists are not always giving credit to the original authors, however they are at least maintaining the original work.

In general, Disraeli's quote is a funny method of explaining the paradox of plagiarism. He is recommending that, although plagiarism is incorrect, plagiarists at least have the merit of protecting the initial work. This indicates that plagiarists are not always producing anything brand-new, however rather taking something that currently exists and using it as their own.