The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune's spite; revive from ashes and rise.
Miguel De CervantesRead
But do not give it to a lawyer's clerk to write, for they use a legal hand that Satan himself will not understand.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously critiques the legibility of legal writing.
Miguel De Cervantes humorously suggests that legal documents are so poorly written that even a devil would struggle to comprehend them. This reflects a broader criticism of the legal profession, implying that legal language is often unnecessarily complex and inaccessible to the average person.
Themes
LegalHumorWritingLawyerComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about legal reform, one might use this quote to lighten the mood.
More from Miguel De Cervantes
All quotes βPatience and shuffle the cards.
Miguel De CervantesRead
It's up to brave hearts, sir, to be patient when things are going badly, as well as being happy when they're going well ... For I've heard that what they call fortune is a flighty woman who drinks too much, and, what's more, she's blind, so she can't see what she's doing, and she doesn't know who she's knocking over or who she's raising up.
Miguel De CervantesRead
When the head aches, all the members partake of the pain.
Miguel De CervantesRead
Though Gods attributes are equal, yet his mercy is more attractive and pleasing in our eyes than his justice.
Miguel De CervantesRead
If you are ambitious of climbing up to the difficult, and in a manner inaccessible, summit of the Temple of Fame, your surest way is to leave on one hand the narrow path of Poetry, and follow the narrower track of Knight-Errantry, which in a trice may raise you to an imperial throne.
Miguel De CervantesRead
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