# The most famous quotes from The Betrothed

From 'this marriage shall not take place' to 'Carneades! Who was he?' and 'the wretched girl answered': lines from Manzoni's novel that became sayings, with their chapter.

- 27 votes · 14 items
- Nov 15, 2022 · G. Mancini
- https://even.best/en/l/4543/the-most-famous-quotes-from-the-betrothed

## Top 14

1. **This marriage shall not take place, not tomorrow, not ever.** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — A henchman to Don Abbondio, chapter I.
2. **The wretched girl answered.** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Chapter X, the Nun of Monza.
3. **Carneades! Who was he?** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Don Abbondio, chapter VIII.
4. **We should think more of doing good than of being well: and so we would end up better off too.** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Chapter XXXVIII.
5. **It's a bad thing to be born poor, my dear Renzo.** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — Perpetua, chapter II.
6. **You must tell your lawyer things clearly: it's up to us to muddle them afterwards.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Azzecca-garbugli, chapter III.
7. **If you know how to handle the decrees, nobody is guilty and nobody is innocent.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Azzecca-garbugli, chapter III.
8. **Good sense was there, but it stayed hidden, for fear of common sense.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Chapter XXXII, the plague.
9. **Adelante, presto, con juicio (Go ahead, quickly, with care).** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Grand Chancellor Ferrer, chapter XIII.
10. **Words have one effect in the mouth and another in the ears.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Chapter XXXVIII.
11. **Hush it up, cut it short, most reverend father: cut it short, hush it up.** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — The Count Uncle, chapter XIX.
12. **It is one of the advantages of this world that you can hate and be hated without knowing each other.** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Chapter IV.
13. **Do you want many people to help you? Try not to need them.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Chapter XXV.
14. **Courage is not something you can give yourself.** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Don Abbondio, chapter XXV.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.