Wealth, howsoever got, in England makes Lords of mechanics, gentlemen of rakes; Antiquity and birth are needless here; 'Tis impudence and money makes a peer.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Defoe argues that money in England creates nobility regardless of birth or character.
- In plain terms
- Money makes nobles in England, not birth.
- What can you take from it?
- Wealth can override tradition in social status.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does money buy status?
- What matters more: birth or wealth?
Another view
It overlooks non-monetary paths to status.
More from Daniel Defoe
The royal refugee our breed restores With foreign courtiers and with foreign whores, And carefully repeopled us again, Throughout his lazy, long, lascivious re…
Permalink to quote #9 Great families of yesterday we show, And lords whose parents were the Lord knows who.
Permalink to quote #11 From this amphibious ill-born mob began That vain, ill-natured thing, an Englishman.
Permalink to quote #8
Related quotes
In my opinion, every rich man is a miser.
Michel de MontaigneMichel de Montaigne quote #5 Acquaintance, n. A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to. A degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor…
Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce quote #8 There's a certain part of the contented majority who love anybody who is worth a billion dollars.
John Kenneth GalbraithJohn Kenneth Galbraith quote #54