Men are made to be tools in the hands of stronger spirits.
 Honoré de Balzac, Lost Illusions (1843). copy citation

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Author Honoré de Balzac
Source Lost Illusions
Topic spirit tool
Date 1843
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by Ellen Marriage
Weblink https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13159/pg13159.html

Context

“Lousteau, Lucien and Coralie, Blondet and Finot, were to dine at the Palais-Royal; du Bruel was giving the manager of the Panorama-Dramatique a dinner. "They are right," exclaimed Lucien, when he was alone with Coralie. "Men are made to be tools in the hands of stronger spirits. Four hundred francs for three articles! Doguereau would scarcely give me as much for a book which cost me two years of work." "Write criticism," said Coralie, "have a good time! Look at me, I am an Andalusian girl to-night, to-morrow I may be a gypsy, and a man the night after.” source