In a word, everything is for sale, anything can be bought in our country. And in this flow, he who holds the slightest cover of public authority uses it illegally to acquire money, goods, prestige or to avoid obligations. The right to be recognized by a public servant, to have one's children enrolled in school, to obtain medical care, etc. ...are all subject to this tax which, though invisible, is known and expected by all.

earn what you can since everything's for sale

In Paris, everything's for sale: wise virgins, foolish virgins, truth and lies, tears and smiles.

All things in Naples are arranged with as much civility as possible.

But it is not everything in life that has its ticket, so much. There are things that are not for sale.

The shop-houses of the humble people who made up a large part of the population at Pompeii have been little noticed, over-shadowed as they are by the more aristocratic and much studied - houses. It is now generally recognized that Pompeii was a busy commercial town and not the resort town and playground of the wealthy Romans that earlier writers believed it to be. The many shops and workshops at Pompeii are found scattered throughout the town for the residential and business sections were not rigidly separated. In many cases the shop was simply a large room, which was open to the street when the shutters were pushed back. Frequently there was a counter facing the street, especially in food shops, so that passers-by might be served without the need to enter the shop.

Buying and selling is the basis of all social intercourse, and the commodity an actor or model offered for sale was nothing less than her own being.

“I’d pay a premium for this one, your Highness.”
“That one isn’t for sale[.]”
“Everything’s for sale, your Highness,” Althalus replied with a cynical laugh.

The gods sell anything to everybody at a fair price.

God sells us all things at the price of labor.

Alia poverty poche cose fallano, ma all’ avarizia tutte.

I know Naples well . I frequent it because I like it. It is a city with a very strong identity. On Saturday I was in the historic centre, I visited that marvel of the Veiled Christ for the umpteenth time. But I want to point out a danger: we must be careful not to turn that area of Naples into a showroom, a tourist salon. I do not like oleography, but identity is one thing and oleography another. The historic centre of Naples has its charm because the people are still there. Without the people, it becomes something else. Naples must not lose its soul, it is a danger that I see.

There is an inherent Mediterranean austerity much in evidence in the Naples area, in Sorrento and Capri, which seems to come from the sea, since it is hardly to be found inland.

Vous parlez devant un homme à qui tout Naples est connu.