"Human grandeur," said Pangloss, "is very dangerous, if we believe the testimonies of almost all philosophers; for we find Eglon, King of Moab, was assassinated by Aod; Absalom was hanged by the hair of his head, and run through with three darts; King Nadab, son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baaza; King Ela by Zimri; Okosias by Jehu; Athaliah by Jehoiada; the Kings Jehooiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, were led into captivity: I need not tell you what was the fate of Croesus, Astyages, Darius, Dionysius of Syracuse, Pyrrhus, Perseus, Hannibal, Jugurtha, Ariovistus, Caesar, Pompey, Nero, Otho, Vitellius, Domitian, Richard II of England, Edward II, Henry VI, Richard Ill, Mary Stuart, Charles I, the three Henrys of France, and the Emperor Henry IV."
A nagyság, mondá Pangloss, a filozófusok véleménye szerint, nagy veszedelmet rejt magában; Eglont, a moabiták királyát, Aod gyilkolta meg; Absolont a hajánál fogva akaszták fel és három dárdával szurták át; Nadab királyt, Jeroboam fiát, Baza ölte meg; Ela királyt Zambri, Ochosiast Jehu, Attaliát Joïade küldte a másvilágra; Joachim, Jekonias, Sedecias királyok rabszolgaságra jutottak... Nagyon jól tudod, hogyan pusztult el Krőzus, Astyages, Darius, Syrakusai Dionisos, Pyrrhus, Perseus, Hannibal, Jugurtha, Ariovistus, Cézár, Pompeius, Nero, Otto, Vitellius, Domitianus, II.