proverb · Source-linked selection
Golden bishop, wooden crosier; wooden bishop, golden crosier.
Golden bishop, wooden crosier; wooden bishop, golden crosier.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Visible symbols of status can differ from the quality of the person holding it. Judge character and conduct rather than assuming that splendid equipment proves merit.
What the words are saying
The crossed contrast pairs a valuable bishop with a plain staff, and a deficient bishop with an expensive one. It separates the moral quality assigned to the officeholder from the material quality of the emblem. More generally, decoration and prestige can distract from how someone actually treats others and fulfils a responsibility. The saying’s religious image belongs to its historical wording; the practical comparison can be considered without judging a whole religion or assuming that every modestly dressed person is admirable.
Everyday example
A group choosing a chairperson considers their fairness and reliability rather than preferring the candidate with the most impressive promotional materials.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish a position’s symbols from the holder’s conduct.
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What it does not mean
Plain appearance is not proof of integrity either. Assess actions and relevant evidence rather than reversing the same appearance-based judgment.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 17; French section, paragraph 348; source wording: Evêque d’or, crosse de bois; crosse d’or, évêque de bois.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.