“Surely in a matter of this kind we should endeavor to do something, that we may say that we have not lived in vain, that we may leave some impress of ourselves on the sands of time.”

From an alleged Letter of to his Minister of the Interior on the Poor Laws. Pub. in The Press, Feb. 1, 1868.
Attributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 1, 2023. History

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Napoleon I of France259

French general, First Consul and later Emperor of the French 1769–1821

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Disputed and/or attributed
Variant: Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.

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Translations, From the French

“Surely in a matter of this kind we should endeavor to do something, that we may say that we have not lived in vain, that we may leave some impress of ourselves on the sands of time.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Napoleon I of France259

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