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Quote#Love

To try to regulate the internal affairs of a family, the relations of…

Quote byJames Fitzjames Stephen · 1829–1894

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (1873-1874), Ch. 4 : The Doctrine of Liberty in its Application to Morals.

English (original)

To try to regulate the internal affairs of a family, the relations of love or friendship, or many other things of the same sort, by law or by the coercion of public opinion, is like trying to pull an eyelash out of a man’s eye with a pair of tongs. They may put out the eye, but they will never get hold of the eyelash

— James Fitzjames Stephen

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