The people that he shared it with took it, and turned it into a million marvellous things that led us out of the darkness and gave us the power to shape our universe.
The gods weren't deprived of their fire, yet we had it too. The only thing they lost was their monopoly, which was fine because what we would do with the fire didn't impinge on their ability to continue being gods, whatever that meant.
Then a funny thing happened.
As the gods became aware of the people's inventiveness, they began to assimilate those very ideas and techniques that had long ago turned fire into Future, and caused such fury. The sharing and mixing began to feed back into the consciousness of the initial creators, and newer, more wonderous technology was born.
Cycle by cycle, turn by turn, we progress. And so it goes.
Nor would I scruple, with a due regard,
To read sometimes a rude unpolish'd bard.
Among whose labours I may find a line.
Which from unsightly rust I may refine.
And, with a better grace, adopt it into mine.
How often may we see a troubled flood,
Stain'd with unsettled ooze, and rising mud?
Which, (if a well the bord'ring natives sink)
Supplies the thirsty multitude with drink.
The trickling stream by just degrees refines,
Till in its course the limpid current shines;
And taught thro' secret labyrinths to flow,
Works itself clear among the sands below.
For nothing looks so gloomy, but will shine
From proper care, and timely discipline;
If, with due vigilance and conduct, wrought
Deep in the soul, it labours in the thought.
Hence on the ancients we must rest alone,
And make their golden sentences our own.
To cull their best expressions claims our cares.
To form our notions, and our styles on theirs.
See how we bear away their precious spoils.
And with the glorious dress enrich our styles;
Their bright inventions for our use convey,
Bring all the spirit of their words away.
And make their words themselves our lawful prey.
Unsham'd in other colours to be shown,
We speak our thoughts in accents not our own.
But your design with modest caution weigh.
Steal with due care, and meditate the prey.
Invert the order of the words with art,
And change their former site in ev'ry part.
Thus win your readers, thus deceive with grace,
And let th' expresion wear a diff'rent face;
Your self at last, the glorious labour done.
Will scarce discern his diction from your own.
Some, to appear of diffedence bereft.
Steal in broad day, and glory in the theft;
When with just art, design, and confidence.
On the fame words they graft a diff'rent sense;
Preserve th' unvari'd terms and order too.
But change their former spirit for a new.
When a great orator makes a great speech you are listening to ten thousand men--but we call it his speech, and really some exceedingly small portion of it is his. But not enough to signify. It is merely a Waterloo. It is Wellington's battle, in some degree, and we call it his but there were others that contributed. It takes a thousand men to invent a telegraph or a steam engine, or a phonograph, or a telephone, or any other important thing--and the last man gets the credit and we forget the others. He added his little mite--that ninety-nine parts of all things that proceed from the intellect are plagiarisms, pure and simple; and the lesson ought to make us modest. But nothing can do that."
I haven't used up Finnian's book by copying it. He still has the original and that original is none the worse for my having copied it. Nor has it decreased in value because I made a transcript of it. The knowledge in books should be available to anybody who wants to read them and has the skills or is worthy to do so; and it is wrong to hide such knowledge away or to attempt to extinguish the divine things that books contain. It is wrong to attempt to prevent me or anyone else from copying it or reading it or making multiple copies to disperse throughout the land.
In conclusion I submit that it was permissible for me to copy the book because, although I benefited from the hard work involved in the transcription, I gained no worldly profit from the process, I acted for the good of society in general and neither Finnian nor his book were harmed."