"As to ourselves, the more civilized, intellectual and refined we are,
the more we ought to conquer and subdue that animal instinct, which
represents the will of God in us. And so, in order to mitigate our lot
as brutes, we have discovered and made everything, beginning with
houses, then exquisite food, sauces, sweetmeats, pastry, drink, stuffs,
clothes, ornaments, beds, mattresses, carriages, railways, and
innumerable machines, besides arts and sciences, writing and poetry.
Every ideal comes from us and all the amenities of life, in order to
make our existence as simple reproducers, for which divine Providence
solely intended us, less monotonous and less hard.

"Look at this theater. Is there not here a human world created by us,
unforeseen and unknown by Eternal destinies, comprehensible by our minds
alone, a sensual and intellectual distraction, which has been invented
solely by and for that discontented and restless little animal that we
are.

"Look at that woman, Madame de Mascaret. God intended her to live in a
cave naked, or wrapped up in the skins of wild animals, but is she not
better as she is? But, speaking of her, does anyone know why and how her
brute of a husband, having such a companion by his side, and especially
after having been boorish enough to make her a mother seven times, has
suddenly left her, to run after bad women?"

Grandin replied: "Oh! my dear fellow, this is probably the only reason.
He found that always sleeping with her was becoming too expensive in the
end, and from reasons of domestic economy, he has arrived at the same
principles which you lay down as a philosopher."