τὸ ἄμεινον καὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἐν τῷ ἀφανεῖ ἔτι ἑώρα μάλιστα
he most clearly saw the better and the worse while they were still hidden
Source Cf. Thucydides 1.138 (of Themistocles)
Register technical
Etymology
Compliment to a politician's foresight; possibly from Thucydides or a historian.