It is said that he replied to Cardinal ***, a not very regular prelate (some say Abbot Terray), who was complaining of suffering like a damned person: "What! Already, monseigneur?" In my opinion, he might well have said this about one of his patients, but not to his face; manners would not allow that.

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Notes from Wikiquote

An "regular prelate" (prélat régulier) is a high-ranking churchman; this is a play on words, implying that he was irregular, that is, immoral. Abbot Terray is Joseph Marie Terray.

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Michel-Philippe Bouvart (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.