My lords, you are highly placed. It is well. We must believe that God has his reasons that it should be so. You have power, opulence, pleasure, the sun ever shining in your zenith, authority unbounded, enjoyment without a sting, and a total forgetfulness of others. So be it. But there is something below you — above you, it may be. My lords, I bring you news — news of the existence of mankind.
[Mylords, vous êtes en haut. C’est bien. Il faut croire que Dieu a ses raisons pour cela. Vous avez le pouvoir, l’opulence, la joie, le soleil immobile à votre zénith, l’autorité sans borne, la jouissance sans partage, l’immense oubli des autres. Soit. Mais il y a au-dessous de vous quelque chose. Au-dessus peut-être. Mylords, je viens vous apprendre une nouvelle. Le genre humain existe.]
Victor Hugo (1802–1885) French writer, journalist, human rights activist, politician
The Man Who Laughs [L’Homme qui rit; The Laughing Man; By Order of the King], Part 2, Book 8, ch. 7 (2.8.7) (1869) [tr. Steele (Auth.) (1871)]
(Source)
Gwynpaine addressing the House of Lords.
(Source (French)). Other translations:My lords, you are highly placed. It is well. We must believe that God has his reasons that it should be so. You have power, opulence, pleasure, the sun ever shining in your zenith, authority unbounded, enjoyment without a sting, and a total forgetfulness of others. So be it. But there is something below you -- above you, may be. My lords, I bring you news, -- news of the existence of mankind.
[tr. Steele (1869)]My lords, you are on high. 'Tis well. We must believe that God hath his reasons for this. You have power, opulence, joy, the sun motionless in your zenith, authority without limit, enjoyment undivided, immense forgetfulness of others. But there is something below you; above, perhaps. My lords, I am come to tell you some news. The human race exists.
[tr. Hapgood (1888)]My Lords, you are loftily placed. It is well. We must believe that God has his reasons for this. You have power, opulence, joy, the sun always motionless at your zenith, unbounded authority, undivided enjoyment, an immense oblivion of all others. So be it. But there is something beneath you. Above you, too, perhaps. My Lords, I come to tell you news. The human race exists.
[tr. Phillips (1894)]Mylords, you are upstairs. That is good. You must believe that God has his reasons for this. You have power, opulence, joy, the sun standing still at your zenith, unbounded authority, undivided enjoyment, immense forgetfulness of others. So be it. But there is somthing below you. Above perhaps. Mylords, I have come to tell you some news. The human race exists.
[tr. Lavelle (2003)]
Quotations about:
social status
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Of all pride, that which persons discover from Riches is the weakest. If we look over our acquaintance, how many do we find who were a few years ago in affluence, now reduced to real want.
Abigail Adams (1744–1818) American correspondent, First Lady (1797–1801)
Letter (1790-02-20) to Mary Smith Cranch
(Source)
I hope i shall never hav so mutch reputashun, that i shant feel obliged tew be civil.
[I hope I shall never have so much reputation, that I shan’t feel obliged to be civil.]
Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1870-03 (1870 ed.)
(Source)
It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) American philosopher and writer
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)
(Source)
