proverb · Words worth keeping
The law says what the king pleases.
The law says what the king pleases.
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
Rules can be influenced by the wishes of those who hold power. Distinguish the existence of a rule from evidence that it is impartial or fair.
What the words are saying
The king’s wishes are presented as determining what the law says. Read as political criticism, the image questions authority that makes public rules serve a ruler’s preferences. It encourages asking who decides, who can question the decision and who is affected by it. The saying is not a description of every legal system or current law in any country. Its value is the distinction between power to issue a rule and a justification for that rule. Fair procedures and meaningful accountability matter when a decision shapes other people’s opportunities or obligations.
Everyday example
Members of an association ask for a transparent vote rather than accepting a rule changed solely to suit its chair.
When to use it
Use it to question whether a rule has a fair and accountable basis.
What it does not mean
Do not treat the saying as legal advice or evidence about a particular institution. Examine the actual procedure and circumstances.
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 29; French section, paragraph 580; source wording: La loi dit ce que le roi veut.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.