“Many a servant un-to his lord seith,
"Þat al the world spekith of him honour,"
Whan the contrarie of þat is sooth, in feith.”
Many a servant unto his Lord saith
That all the world speaketh of him honóur,
When the contrary of that is sooth in faith.
Source: La Male Regle (c. 1405), Line 217; vol. 1, p. 32; translation p. 60.
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Thomas Occleve 9
British writer 1369–1426Related quotes

Riyadh-as-Saliheen by Imam Al-Nawawi, volume 1, hadith number 18
Sunni Hadith

Published in 1755, Hymns: "Ye Servants of the Lord", Chambers Dictionary of Quotations, p. 278.

“The labour of a menial servant, on the contrary, adds to the value of nothing.”
Source: The Wealth of Nations (1776), Book II, Chapter III, p. 364 (see Proverbs 14-23 KJV).
Context: Thus the labour of a manufacture adds, generally, to the value of the materials which he works upon, that of his own maintenance, and of his masters profits. The labour of a menial servant, on the contrary, adds to the value of nothing.