Page images
PDF
EPUB

M[u]sgr[a]ve-occurs the following: "I said, I knew a very wise man so much of Sir Christopher]'s sentiment, that he believed if a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws of a nation." (cf. The Political Works of Andrew Fletcher, London, 1737; also Dict. Nat. Biog., vol. xix, p. 295).

Faites, sire, ce sacrifice; c'est

un dernier trait de ressemblance avec votre divin modèle. (Make this sacrifice, sire; it is a last trait of resemblance to your divine model [Jesus Christ].)

Advice given by the ABBE EDGEWORTH DE FIRMONT (1745-1807), an Irish ecclesiastic, to LOUIS XVI, when about to have his hands tied before his execution (1793). He is credited with having said to Louis XVI at the foot of the scaffold: Fils de saint Louis, montez au ciel; (Son of St. Louis, ascend to Heaven.) but denied having any recollection of these words (appearing in the Républicain français the day following the execution). Another version (Mémoires de la duchesse d'Angoulême) gives: Allez, fils de saint Lours, les portes de l'éternité vous sont ouvertes; (Go, son of St. Louis, the gates of eternity are open to you) but this is no more likely than the first. A third (in No. 192 of the Revolutions de Paris (March 916, 1793) is " Allez, fils aîné de Saint Louis, le ciel vous attend." (Go, eldest son of St. Louis, heaven awaits you.) E. Fournier (L'Esprit dans l'histoire) affirms that the expression was invented by CHARLES LACRETELLE (1766-1855), who in his work Dix années d'épreuves (1842, p. 134), says that he (Lacretelle) was the first to quote it. A letter from Miss Edgeworth, the abbe's sister,

o one of her friends, written Feb.

10,1793(published in the Dutensiana pp. 213-8) thus quotes the abbe's words: "Sire, c'est encore un sacrifice que vous avez à faire pour avoir un nouveau trait de ressemblance avec votre divin modèle." (Sire, it. another sacrifice that you have to make to have a new trait of resem blance to your divine model.) The following is from the Dernières heures de Louis XVI, by the Abbé Edgeworth de Firmont, Son Con fesseur, pp. 124-5, vol. 9, of the Bibliothèque des Mémoires (Barri ére): "Sire, lui dis-je avec larmes, dans ce nouvel outrage je ne vois qu'un dernier trait de ressemblance entre votre majesté et le Dieu qui va être as récompense." (Sire, said I in tears, in this new outrage I only see a last trait of resemblance between your majesty and the God who is going to be your reward.) For the king's last words as there given, see Je meurs innocent etc. Fi de la vie qu'on ne m'en parle plus. (Out upon life! don't talk of it to me any more.) Last words of MARGARET OF SCOTLAND (1425-45) wife of Louis XI of France. Another version : "Fi de la vie de ce monde! ne m'en parlez plus" (Beaucourt, Hist. de Charles VII, iv, pp. 104-10). Dict. Nat. Biog. vol. xxxvi, p. 138.

Fils de saint Louis, montez au ciel.

See Faites, sire, ce sacrifice, etc. Fin de siècle. (End of the century.)

Phrase often used towards and until the end of the nineteenth century. Title of a play by MM. Micard and the de Jouvenot, produced at Château-d' Eau (Paris) Apr. 17, 1888.

Fourbe il a vécu, fourbe il a voulu mourir. (Knave he has lived,

and knave he has chosen to die.)

Said, by the courtiers, of CardINAL MAZARIN (1602-61), when dying.

François Ier, après tout, n'était qu'un héros de tournois, un beau de salon, un de ces grands hommes pygmées. (Francis I, after all, was only a tournament hero, a drawingroom beau, one of those pigmy great men.)

NAPOLEON (1769-1821)—of Francis I. See Ce gros garçon gâtera

tout.

Frappe, mais va-t-en. (Strike, but go away.)

Reply made by CHAPELLE (162686)-to a lord at dinner, when the latter threatened to cane the poets who had satirised persons of quality. A parody of the mot of Themistocles Πάταξον μὲν, ἄκουσον δέ (which see).

Frères, il faut mourir! (Brothers we must die!)

Saying of the monks of La Trappe when at the point of death -not whenever they meet each other, as alleged by Chateaubriand. Fusillez-moi tous ces gens-là !

(Shoot me all those people!) Attributed to PAUL ARMAND CHALLEMEL-LACOUR (1827-1896), but denied. He is said to have written these words on a report sent by him to General Bressolles concerning the conduct of battalion of mobiles, near Lyons, in Sept. 1870. Général, pourquoi versez-vous

a

des larmes ? Je suis heureux de mourir pour mon pays. (General, why do you shed tears? I am happy to die for my country.)

Dying words of F.-S. Desgraviers, GENERAL MARCEAU (1769-96),

mortally wounded near Altenkirchen, to GENERAL JOURDAN (1762-1833), whose retreat he protected.

Général, vous êtes grand comme le monde ! (General, you are as great as the world!)

GENERAL KLEBER (1753-1800)-to NAPOLEON, seizing him round the waist, at the battle of Aboukir when the Turkish army was destroyed (July 1799).

Gonzalve menace de m'ôter un

reste de vie si vous ne vous rendez promptement. Mon ami, regardez-moi comme un homme déjà mort, et faites votre devoir. (Gonzalvo threatens to take what remains of my life if you do not surrender at once. My friend, consider me as already dead: and do your duty.)

Instructions given by JACQUES DE LA PALICE (appointed Marshal in 1515, died 1525) to his lieutenant Cornon. La Palice being wounded in the head, was made prisoner by the Spaniards (1503) when the town of Ruvo fell into their hands, and as the citadel still held out, Gonzalvo threatened him with death if he did not give his lieutenant orders to surrender. Being led to the foot of the ramparts he spoke to Cornon as above. J. d'Authon, Annales de Louis XII.

Grâce aux prisonniers, Bonchamp l'ordonne! Pardon for the prisoners, Bonchamp commands it!)

Dying words of the MARQUIS DE BONCHAMP (1759-93) wounded before Clolet, Oct. 17, 1793-referring to the republican prisoners (numbering about 5,000) who were going to be killed.

Grands cœurs, cessez d'aimer, ou je cesse d'ècrire. (Noble

[merged small][ocr errors]

le Cosaque. (Scratch the Russian, you'll find the Cossack [Tartar].)

Attributed to NAPOLEON (17691821) Cf. "Plusieurs de ces parvenus de la civilisation ont "conservé la peau de l'ours, ils "n'ont fait que la retourner, mais

pour peu qu'on gratte, le poil se retrouve et se redresse.' Quoted as said by the ARCHBISHOP OF TARENTE, CAPÈCE-LATRO (17441836) (Several of these parvenus of civilisation have retained the skin of the bear, they have only turned it, but however little it is scratched, the hair is there all the same and stands up again.) de Custine, La Russie en 1839 vol, 2 p. 308. Also: Zieht man einem solchen Gallier die weisse haut ab, so hat man einen Turco vor sich. (Strip off the white skin from such a Gaul, and you will find a Turco.) By PRINCE BISMARCK (1813-98.)

Guerre aux châteaux et paix aux

chaumines. (War against castles and peace towards cottages.)

Motto proposed by CHAMFORT (1741-94) to the soldiers of the Republic. See Mort aux tyrans, paix aux chaumines. Quoted by J. Berchoux in his Epitre politique et galante à Ephrosine de Ñ. .

...

"Guerre aux châteaux, paix aux chaumières,

"Attendu que dans ces dernières, "Le pillage serait sans prix." (War against castles and peace towards cottages, Seeing that in these last, Pillage would be worthless.)

In the Edinburgh Review, Apr. 1800 (p. 240 note) the phrase "Guerre aux châteaux, paix à la chaumière" is ascribed to Cordorcet (1743-94). Thiers (Hist. de la Rév. Française, 1846, vol, 2, p. 283) credits Joseph Cambon (1754-1820 with it. In Lamartine's Hist. des Girondins, 1847, Merlin (17541838) is represented as exclaiming in the Assembly: "Déclarez la

66

guerre aux rois et la paix aux "nations." (Declare war against kings and peace to nations.)

Hé! Hé sire, c'est le treizième (Eh! Eh! sire, it's the thirteenth.)

[blocks in formation]

Henri IV fut un grand roi, Louis XIV fut le roi d'un beau regne. (Henry IV was a great king, Louis XIV was the king of a fine reign.)

ABBÉ VOISENON (1708-75). Cf. Euvres, vol 4, p. 121). Cf. Voltaire's letter to Mme. du Deffand, Sep. 23, 1752, in which he says (à propos of Louis XIV): "C'était, avec ses défauts, un grand roi ; son siècle est un grand siècle." (He was,

with his faults, a great king; his century is a great century.) Honny soit qui mal y pense. (Evil be to him who evil thinks [of it].)

Attributed to EDWARD III (131277), and is the motto of the Order of the Garter established by him in 1349 (April 23). Sir W. Scott, Essay on Chivalry. The popular tradition ascribes the origin of this Order to the picking up by the king of the Countess of Salisbury's garter at a ball, he remarking: "Those who laugh will be proud to wear a similar one," but the incident is of doubtful authenticity. Cf. Shakspere's Merry Wives of Windsor, act 5, sc. 5.

Il a été tué! j'avais toujours dit

que cet homme-là était plus heureux que moi. (He has been killed! I always said that that man was more fortunate than I.)

Attributed (but discredited) to the DUC DE VILLARS (1653-1734) the priest having said that God had given him (Villars) time to prepare himself, while the Maréchal de Berwick (1670-1734) had been killed before Phalsbourg by

cannon ball.

a

Il aurait un meilleur usage à en faire. (He could put it to a better use.)

Dying words of TALLEYRAND (1754-1838)-May 1838, after being informed that the Archbishop of Paris had said that he would give his life for M. de Talleyrand.

Il avait été a la peine, c'était bien raison qu'il fut a l'honneur (It had borne the brunt, it was only right that it should have the honour.)

Reply made by JOAN OF ARC (1412-31), when asked by her captors

why her standard was carried at the coronation of Charles VII at Reims, (July 17, 1429), rather than those of the other captains.

Il est bon que de chez lui un souverain puisse voir la maison du pauvre. (It is well that from his palace a sovereign should be able to see the house of the poor.) DE ROUGEMONT ( alluding to the Louvre, Charles X (1757-1836) and the Hôtel Dieu respectively. Rougemont is also credited by Fournier (L'Esprit dans Histoire) with having invented the phrase La garde meurt, etc. (q.v.)

Il est mort aujourd'hui un homme qui faisait honneur à l'homme. (There has died to-day a man who did honour to mankind.) GENERAL MONTECUCULLI (160881) of MARSHAL TURENNE. The former was killed by a cannon-ball at Salsbach (July 27, 1675).

Il est mort guéri. (He died cured.)

DELON, a medical mesmerist, with regard to one of his patients who had died, when reminded of the promise he had made to cure him. Euvres de Chamfort, p. 129 (1852).

Il est permis en littérature de voler un auteur pourvu qu'on le tue. (In literature it is permissible to rob an author provided he is killed.)

Attributed to MOLIÈRE (1622

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

this lesson to know that, etc.) Le Moniteur Universel, May 24, 1790.

Note. The Tarpeian rock is the rock from which criminals guilty of treason were precipitated and is near the Capitol where victors were crowned. The comparison is used to indicate that triumph is often followed by a fall.

Cf. "La roche Tarpéienne est près du Capitole." (The Tarpeian Rock is near the Capitol.) Jouy, La Vestale, act 3, sc. 3 (written 1807.) Il est plus difficile d'entrer ici

que d'y etre reçu. (It is more difficult to enter here than to be received here [i.e. to be elected a member].)

Joking remark by PIRON (1689. 1773) in a crowd, trying to obtain admission to a séance of the French Academy.

Il est temps que je fasse ce que j'ai tant de fois prêché aux autres. (It is time for me to do what I have so many times preached to others.)

Said by BOURDALOUE (16321704)-feeling death approaching. Il est trop tard! (It is too late!)

Reply by ODILON BARROT (17911873), to MM. de SEMONVILLE (1759-1839) and D'ARGOUT, Charles X's envoys (expressing the opinion of the provisional government and La Fayette). Mémoires posthumes d'Odilon Barrot. Sometimes attributed to LA FAYETTE (1757-1834). Il faut avouer que nous avons un grand roi. (It must be admitted that we have a great king.) Phrase probably derived from the following remark by MME. DE SEVIGNE (1626-96). Il faut avouer que le roi a de grandes qualités. (It must be admitted that the king has some great qualities.) BussyRabutin, Hist, amoureuse des Gaules vol. 1, pp. 309-10 (1856).

Il faut bin qu'Arnoul daîne. Il faut bien qu' Arnoul dîne. (Arnoul must have his dinner.) By the wife of ARNOUL COCAULT, a well-known notary, to the PRINCE De Condé (1588-1646) in the year 1611.-The latter was made to wait until the former had dined. Neither husband nor wife knew who their distinguished visitor was until after wards.

Il faut quitter tout cela! (I must leave all this!)

Words used by CARDINAL MAZARIN (1602-61) shortly before his death, which took place March 8-9, 1661. He added: "Et encore cela! Que j'ai eu de peine à acquérir toutes ces choses! puis-je les abandonner sans regret? . Je ne les verrai plus où je vais ! (And that also! What trouble I have had to collect all these things! can I leave them without regret? ... I shall see them no more where I am going!) Afterwards

« PreviousContinue »