FRENCH SAYINGS A cœurs vaillants rien d'impossible. (Nothing is impossible to valiant hearts.) Lent Motto of JACQUES CŒUR (140056) son of a merchant furrier of Bourges: appointed master of the mint there by Charles VII. the king (1449) 200,000 gold crowns enabling him to undertake the conquest of Normandy. Cf. "It is a strong castle, and strongly guarded; but there is no impossibility to brave men. (Sir Walter Scott, Quentin Durward, ch. iii.) Adieu, chère France! je ne vous verrai jamais plus! (Adieu, dear France! I shall never see you more!) Farewell of MARY STUART (154287) to France. The lines "Adieu, plaisant pays de France. O ma patrie La plus chérie !" etc. at one time attributed to her, were written by a journalist, G. Meusnier de Querlon (1702-80) who published them as hers in 1765 (Dict. of Nat. Biog., vol. xxxvi, p. 389). Another version : (Adieu, France! Adieu, France! je pense ne vous voir plus." (Adieu, France! Adieu, France! I think that I shall never see you more.) Brantôme, vol. v, pp. 92-4. Cf. "Adieu, charmant pays de France "Que je dois tant chérir! "Berceau de mon heureuse enfance "Adieu! te quitter c'est mourir." Béranger, Adieu de Marie Stuart. (Farewell, farewell, sweet land of France, Enshrined in my heart! Home of my childhood's happy hours, Farewell! 'tis death from thee to part). also "Mary, Queen of Scots," Poem by Henry Glassford Bell. See Farewell, France, farewell, &c. Adieu, mon cher Morand, je me (Adieu, my dear Mor meurs. and, I am dying.) VOLTAIRE (1694-1778)-Last words. Wagnière, Relation du Voyage de M. de Voltaire à Paris en 1778, et de sa mort (Mémoires sur Voltaire, etc. Longchamp and Wagnière, Paris, 1826, p. 163.) Adieu, prince sans terre. (Adieu, landless prince.) LAMORAL, COMTE D'EGMONT (1522-68)—when taking leave of WILLIAM OF ORANGE (1533-84) "the Silent," who had escaped from what he considered the murderous intentions of Philip II of Spain. Orange replied: "Adieu, comte sans tête." (Adieu, headless count.) The Count is one of the principal characters in Goethe's tragedy of Egmont. See Farewell, Oxford without a head! Ah! c'est que vous ne savez pas combien il peut rester de bonheur dans trois arpents de terre. (Ah! you do not know how much happiness can remain in three arpents [3 to 4 acres] of land.) Saying of HELVETIUS'S widow (1719-1800) at Auteuil, to NAPOLEON (1769-1821), who was astonished at her cheerfulness in her reduced circumstances. Ah! c'est une spoliation vérita ble; c'est une indignité. LOUIS ADOLPHE THIERS (1797-1877)-alluding to the large amount (200,000,000) of the war indemnity exacted by the Germans after the Franco-German War, 1870-1. Ah! le bon billet qu' a La Châtre ! (Ah! what a fine promise La Châtre has !) Remark by NINON DE LENCLOS (1620-1705) on remembering her written promise to remain faithful to the Marquis de La Châtre during Voltaire quotes the his absence. phrase as le beau billet qu'a La Chatre;" in a letter to the Comtesse de Lutzelbourg, Sep. 14, 1753; also as 66 "On sait l'aventure du beau billet qu'a La Châtre" in a letter Sur Mlle. de Lenclos à M.... (1751) (Cf. Nouveaux mélanges philosophiques, etc.) The anecdote is told by Saint Simon in ch. 151 of his Mémoires. Ah! pour Dieu, monsieur, n'ayez pitié de moi, mais plutôt de Reply made by BAYARD (1475- 33 to be Bayard's last words. Another Ah! si je n'étais pas roi, je me LOUIS XIV (1638-1715). (Dreux du Radier, Tablettes hist. et anecdotes des rois de France, vol. 3, p. 199, 2nd edit.) Ah! si le roi le savait! (Ah! if the king knew it!) Saying of the people, dating from, at least, feudal times, when oppressed by the nobles. Ah! s'il se fallait méfier de Said by CARDINAL MAZARIN (1602-61) of Fabert (1599-1662) when doubts were cast upon the latter's fidelity. Ah! sire, la pluie de Marly ne mouille pas. (Ah! sire, the rain at Marly does not anyone.) wet DE Said by the CARDINAL POLIGNAC (1661-1741) to LOUIS XIV (1638-1715) Ah, sire, qu'est-ce qui n'a pas soixante ans? (Ah, sire, who isn't sixty?) FRENCH SAYINGS A cœurs vaillants rien d'impossible. (Nothing is impossible to valiant hearts.) Motto of JACQUES CŒUR (140056) son of a merchant furrier of Bourges: appointed master of the mint there by Charles VII. Lent the king (1449) 200,000 gold crowns enabling him to undertake the conquest of Normandy. Cf. "It is a strong castle, and strongly guarded; but there is no impossibility to brave men." (Sir Walter Scott, Quentin Durward, ch. iii.) Adieu, chère France! je ne vous verrai jamais plus! (Adieu, dear France! I shall never see you more!) Farewell of MARY STUART (154287) to France. The lines "Adieu, plaisant pays de France. O ma patrie La plus chérie !" etc. at one time attributed to her, were written by a journalist, G. Meusnier de Querlon (1702-80) who published them as hers in 1765 (Dict. of Nat. Biog., vol. xxxvi, p. 389). Another version : (Adieu, France! Adieu, France! je pense ne vous voir plus." (Adieu, France! Adieu, France! I think that I shall never see you more.) Brantôme, vol. v, pp. 92-4. Cf. "Adieu, charmant pays de France "Que je dois tant chérir! "Berceau de mon heureuse enfance "Adieu! te quitter c'est mourir.' Béranger, Adieu de Marie Stuart. (Farewell, farewell, sweet land of France, Enshrined in my heart! Home of my childhood's happy hours, Farewell! 'tis death from thee to part). also "Mary, Queen of Scots," Poem by Henry Glassford Bell. See Farewell, France, farewell, &c. Adieu, mon cher Morand, je me meurs. (Adieu, my dear Morand, I am dying.) VOLTAIRE (1694-1778)-Last words. Wagnière, Relation du Voyage de M. de Voltaire à Paris en 1778, et de sa mort (Mémoires sur Voltaire, etc. Longchamp and Wagnière, Paris, 1826, p. 163.) Adieu, prince sans terre. (Adieu, landless prince.) LAMORAL, COMTE D'EGMONT (1522-68)—when taking leave of WILLIAM OF ORANGE (1533-84) "the Silent," who had escaped from what he considered the murderous intentions of Philip II of Spain. Orange replied: "Adieu, comte sans tête." (Adieu, headless count.) The Count is one of the principal characters in Goethe's tragedy of Egmont. See Farewell, Oxford without a head! Ah! c'est que vous ne savez pas combien il peut rester de bonheur dans trois arpents LOUIS ADOLPHE (1797-1877)-alluding to the large amount (200,000,000) of the war indemnity exacted by the Germans after the Franco-German War, 1870-1. Ah! le bon billet qu' a La Châtre ! (Ah! what a fine promise La Châtre has !) Remark by NINON DE LENCLOS pitié de moi, mais plutôt de Reply made by BAYARD (1475- to be Bayard's last words. Another Ah! si je n'étais pas roi, je me LOUIS XIV (1638-1715). (Dreux du Radier, Tablettes hist. et anecdotes des rois de France, vol. 3, p. 199, 2nd edit.) Ah! si le roi le savait! (Ah ! if the king knew it!) Saying of the people, dating from, at least, feudal times, when oppressed by the nobles. Ah! s'il se fallait méfier de Said by CARDINAL MAZARIN (1602-61) of Fabert (1599-1662) when doubts were cast upon the latter's fidelity. Ah! sire, la pluie de Marly ne mouille pas. (Ah! sire, the rain at Marly does not anyone.) wet DE Said by the CARDINAL Ah, sire, qu'est-ce qui n'a pas Reply made by the MARECHAL DE GRAMONT (1604-78) to LOUIS XIV (1638-1715), on the latter complaining of being 60 years of age. Ai-je donc sur les épaules la robe de Nessus? (Have I then on my shoulders the shirt of Nessus?) Said by LAZARE HOCHE (176897)-referring to the spitting of blood at the beginning of his last illness. A l'aide de deux axiomes: Tout est possible et tout le monde a raison. (By the help of two axioms: Everything is possible and everybody is right.) Attributed to FONTENELLE (1657-1757) when asked how he had contrived to have so many friends and no enemies. Cf. "Whatever is, is right.' Pope, Essay on Man, Epistle 4, 1. 394, also Epistle 1, 1. 294. A la lanterne ! (To the street lamp!) alluding to the Cry of the populace during the Revolution in the ears of the 'aristocrats," 'lanterne de la Grève,' a street-lamp hung against a gibbet, at the corner of the rue de la Vannerie, and the place de la Grève, where several summary executions took place. The expression owes its notoriety to the ABBÉ MAURY'S (1746-1817) reply to the mob who used it to him. He said: "Eh bien! quand vous m'aurez mis à la lanterne, y verrez-vous plus clair?" (Well, and when you have hanged me to the lamp, will you see any better there?) A l'immortalité. (To immortality.) Motto of the FRENCH ACADEMY, established under Richelieu in 1635. Hence the surname of to the "Immortels" applied members (40 in number). Allez-vous-en, vous avez chacun gagné votre teston. (Go away, you have, each of you earned your teston. *) (Claude Le Peletier, Mémoire, etc., de Mr. Molé.) Said by President MATTHIEU MOLE (1584-1656) to the rioters who came to his house, after asking them what they wanted with him and getting no reply. Allons, Danton, point de faiblesse ! (Come, Danton, no weakness!) DANTON'S (1759-94) remark at the foot of the scaffold, after shedding a few tears at the thought of his wife. Preceded by: "Oh, ma bien-aimée! faut-il que je te quitte?" (Oh, my beloved! must I leave thee?) See Tu montreras ma tête &c. Allons donc j'ai refusé mieux ! (How absurd! I have refused better !) Reply of BEAUMARCHAIS (173299) to the COMTE DE LA BLACHE'S challenge to fight. He was referring to the Duc de Chaulnes (? 1741-93) Allons, petite créole, venez vous mettre dans le lit de vos maîtres. (Come, little creole, put yourself in the bed of your masters.) Said, laughingly, by NAPOLEON (1769-1821) to JOSEPHINE (17631814) the day he took possession of the Tuileries (Feb. 19, 1800.) Cf. the remark of NEPOMUCENE LEMERCIER (1771-1840) to NAPOLEON 4 years later, at the inauguration of the Empire: "Vous vous amusez à refaire le lit des Bourbons; vous n'y coucherez pas” *Small piece of money received each day by the rioters. |
