The Utopians marvel that any mortal can take pleasure in the weak sparkle of a little gem or bright pebble when he has a star, or the sun itself, to look at. They are amazed at the foolishness of any man who considers himself a nobler fellow because he wears clothing of specially fine wool. No matter how delicate the thread, they say, a sheep wore it once, and still was nothing but a sheep.

[Mirantur illi siquidem quemquam esse mortalium quem exiguae gemmulae, aut lapilli dubius oblectet fulgor, cui quidem stellam aliquam, atque ipsum denique solem liceat intueri, aut quemquam tam insanum esse, ut nobilior ipse sibi ob tenuioris lanae filum uideatur, siquidem hanc ipsam (quantumuis tenui filo sit) ouis olim gestauit, nec aliud tamen interim, quam ouis fuit.]

Thomas More (1478-1535) English lawyer, social philosopher, statesman, humanist, Christian martyr

Utopia, Book 2, ch. 6 “Of the Travelling of the Utopians” (1518 ed.) [tr. Adams (1992 ed.)]
    (Source)

On the (to the Utopians) incomprehensible behavior of foreigners regarding money and wealth.

(Source (Latin)). Other translations:

For they marveyle that any men be so folyshe, as to have delite and pleasure in the doubteful gisteringe of a lytil tryffelynge stone, which maye beholde annye of the starres, or elles the sonne it selfe. Or that anye man is so madde, as to count him selfe the nobler for the smaller or fyner threde of wolle, which selfe same wol (be it now in never so fyne a sponne threde) a shepe did ones wear.
[tr. Robynson (1551)]

The Utopians wonder how any man should be so much taken with the glaring doubtful lustre of a jewel or stone, that can look up to a star, or to the sun himself; or how any should value himself, because his cloth is made of a liner thread: for how fine soever that thread may be, it was once no better than the fleece of a sheep, and that sheep was a sheep still for all its wearing it.
[tr. Burnet (1684); Burnet/Morley (1901); Open Utopia (Duncombe) (2012)]

The Utopians wonder that any man should be so enamoured of the lustre of a jewel, when he can behold a star or the sun; or that he should value himself upon his cloth being made of a finer thread. For, however fine this thread, it was once the fleece of a sheep, which remained a sheep notwithstanding it wore it.
[tr. Cayley (1808)]

For they marvel that any men be so foolish, as to have delight and pleasure in the glistering of a little trifling stone, which may behold any of the stars, or else the sun itself. Or that any man is so mad, as to count himself the nobler for the smaller or finer thread of wool, which selfsame wool (be it now in never so fine a spun thread) did once a sheep wear: and yet was she all that time no other thing than a sheep.
[tr. Robinson (1909 ed)]

For the Utopians wonder that any man can take pleasure in the uncertain brightness of a tiny jewel or precious stone, when he can look at a star or the sun itself, or that anyone can be so mad as to think himself grander because he wears wool of a finer thread; and yet, however fine it be, a sheep once wore it, and yet was nothing more than a sheep all the time.
[tr. Richards (1923)]

For instance, the Utopians fail to understand why anyone should be so fascinated by the dull gleam of a tiny bit of stone, when he has all the stars in the sky to look at — or how anyone can be silly enough to think himself better than other people, because his clothes are made of finer woolen thread than theirs. After all, those fine clothes were once worn by a sheep, and they never turned it into anything better than a sheep.
[tr. Turner (1965 ed.)]

The Utopians wonder that any mortal takes pleasure in the uncertain sparkle of a tiny jewel or precious stone when he can look at a star or even the sun itself. They wonder that anyone can be so mad as to think himself more noble on account of the texture of a finer wool, since, however fine the texture is, a sheep once wore the wool and yet all the time was nothing more than a sheep.
[tr. Richards/Surtz (1964)]

For instance, the Utopians fail to understand why anyone should be so fascinated by the dull gleam of a tiny bit of stone, when he has all the stars in the sky to look at -- or how anyone can be silly enough to think himself better than other people, because his clothes are made of finer woolen thread than theirs. After all, those fine clothes were once worn by a sheep, and they never turned it into anything better than a sheep.
[tr. Turner (2003 ed.)]

The Utopians themselves are surprised at these attitudes. Why should any human being be attracted by the faltering gleam of a tiny jewel or gemstone when they have the privilege of gazing on any of the stars or on the sun itself? Why should anyone be mad enough to think themselves of higher rank because of the fineness of a woolen thread, when the wool itself (however fine the thread) was previously worn by a sheep that was still just a sheep?
[tr. Clarke (2017)]