“Pour juger de la beauté d’un ouvrage, il suffit done de le considérer en lui-raeme; mais pour juger du mérite de l’auteur, il faut le comparer à son siècle.”
Fontenelle, Vie de M. de Corneille.
“To judge of the beauty of a work it is sufficient to consider it by itself, but to judge of the merit of its author, it is necessary to compare him with his century.”
“Pour la bien pleurer c’est trop peu de deux yeux.”
“Two eyes shall not suffice to weep for her.”
“Pour le bien de l’état tout est juste en un roi.”
“For the good of the state all is just in a king.”
“Pour les liommes d’état comme pour les acteurs, il est des choses de
metiér que le génie ne revele pas, il faut les apprendre.”
HoNOKB de Balzac. Le Lys dans la ValUe, p. 193.
“For statesmen, as for actors, there are things in the profession which
genius does not reveal but which have to be learnt.”
“Pour les malheureux la mort a ses plaisirs.”
“For the unhappy death hath many charms.”
“Pour obtenir un bien si grand, si precieux,
J’ay fait la guerre aux rois, je l’eusse faite aux Dieux.”
“To gain so great, so precious a reward,
I’ve warred with kings, I would with gods have warred.”
“Pour peu qu’un pére de famille ait été absent de chez lui, il doit
promener son esprit sur tous les faclieux incidents que son
retour pent rencontrer : se figurer sa maison brulee, son argent
dérobe, sa femme morte, son fils estropie, sa fille subornée; et
ce qu’il trouve qui ne lui est point arrive, l’imputer a bonne
fortune.”
“However short the absence from his home of the head of a family, he
should turn over in his mind all the unpleasant incidents that may
greet him on his return : imagine that his house is burnt down, his
valuables stolen, his wife dead, his son crippled for life, his daughter
dishonoured; and whatever of these things has not happened, put it
down to his good fortune.”
“Pour punir une offense
La generosity pent plus que la vengeance.”
“To requite a wrong.
Sure, clemency than vengeance is more strong.”
“Pour qui ne les craint point il n’est point de prodiges.”
“For those that fear them not there are no prodigies.”
