First priority Quote by Ovid
““You ask perhaps if one should take the maid herself? Such a plan brings the greatest risk with it. In one case, fresh from bed, she’ll get busy, in another be tardy, in one case you’re a prize for her mistress, in the other herself. There’s chance in it: even if it favours the idea, my advice nevertheless is to abstain. I don’t pick my way over sharp peaks and precipices, no youth will be caught out being lead by me. Still, while she’s giving and taking messages, if her body pleases you as much as her zeal, make the lady your first priority, her companion the next: Love should never be begun with a servant.””
About This Quote
Advises against romantic entanglements with servants, warning of power imbalance and social risk.
In simple terms: Caution in crossing class boundaries in love.
Key Takeaway
Class differences complicate intimacy.
Themes
Power dynamics
Social hierarchy
Ethics
Romantic risk
Class conflict
Mood
Reflective
Cautious
Type
Proverbial
Moral
When to use this quote
- Arranged marriage
- Employer-employee romance
- Social scandal
- Family pressure
Key Concepts
Class
Power
Morality
Love
Practical Applications
- Advice column
- Historical fiction
Questions to Reflect On
- How do power imbalances affect consent?
- Can love transcend class barriers?
![“[...] we will leave this place, and go into other lodgings - you as the mistress; and I as the maid." "I should be found out, ma'am," interposed Louisa, trembling at the prospect before her. "I am not a lady." "And I am," said Magdalen bitterly. "Shall I tell you what a lady is? A lady is a woman…” quote by Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c71/wilkie-collins-2078_class_we-will-leave-this-place-and-go-into-oth_993573.jpg)
![“A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. [Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95c/ovid-276_conscious_a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the_12185.jpg)
