“Sire, you are looking at a plain man, and I am looking at a great man. Each of us may benefit.”

“Sire," said M. Myriel, "you are looking at a good man, and I at a great man. Each of us can profit by it.”

“One day—when the emperor had come to call on his uncle the cardinal—our worthy priest happened to be waiting as his Majesty went by. Noticing that the old man looked at him with a certain curiosity, Napoleon turned around and said brusquely, ‘Who is this good man looking at me?’‘Sire,’ replied M. Myriel, “you are looking at a good man, and I at a great one. May we both be the better for it.”That evening the emperor asked the cardinal the priest’s name, Still later, M. Myriel was totally surprised to learn he had been appointed Bishop of Digne.”

“Look down and show some mercy if you can. Look down, look down, upon your fellow man.”

“He was a friendly but sad figure. People said of him: 'A rich man who is not proud. A fortunate man who does not look happy.”

“Great griefs exhaust. They discourage us with life. The man into whom they enter feels something taken from him. In youth, their visit is sad; later on, it is ominous.”

“Man has a tyrant, ignorance. I voted for the demise of that particular tyrant. That particular tyrant has engendered royalty, which is authority based on falsehood, whereas science is authority based on truth. Man should be governed by science alone.""And conscience," added the bishop. "It's the same thing. Conscience is the quota of innate science we each have inside us.”