It is safer to beg than to take, but it is finer to take than to beg.

The best amongst the poor are never grateful. They are ungrateful, discontented, disobedient, and rebellious. They are quite right to be so.

DukeIf you are poor,Are you not blessed in that? Why, povertyIs one of the Christian virtues,[Turns to the Cardinal.]Is it not?I know, Lord Cardinal, you have great revenues,Rich abbey-lands, and tithes, and large estatesFor preaching voluntary poverty.

The tragedy of the poor is that they can afford nothing but self denial.

The proper aim is to try and reconstruct society on such a basis that poverty will be impossible.

As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them of course, but one cannot possibly admire them.

As for begging, it is safer to beg than to take, but it is finer to take than to beg

As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them, of course, but one cannot possibly admire them. They have made private terms with the enemy, and sold their birthright for very bad pottage. They must also be extraordinarily stupid.