Franklin contrasts an ordinary labourer of good character with a powerful ruler who behaves badly. The ploughman has little social status, while the prince occupies one of the highest positions in society. Yet Franklin argues that moral conduct matters more than rank when judging a person’s worth.

The saying challenges the assumption that authority, wealth or inherited position automatically deserves admiration. A prince who is corrupt, cruel or dishonest may possess power without possessing virtue, while a person of modest circumstances may be more worthy because of integrity and harmless conduct. The quotation therefore separates social standing from moral value. It also carries a political implication: rulers should not be judged only by office or prestige, but by how they act. The broader principle is that dignity and worth arise from character rather than from title, privilege or position.