Voltaire reported that the french knew these maxims by heart. Hopefully they will give you a taste of his style, as well as insights on how to more deftly navigate a world that still remarkably resembles the machinations of a french royal court. Holland the translators preface the preface to the reader. Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised. Born in paris on the rue des petits champs, at a time when the.
Oct 01, 2005 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Descended from a distinguished and titled poitou family, he inherited the title of duke when his father died in 1653. Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. Les lire aujourdhui nous montre a quel point rien na vraiment change, et combien certains principes sont eternels.
Other articles where maxims and moral reflections is discussed. He writes in the preface to the first edition that these reflections on human conduct will probably. The main reference i will use for the examples is the french 17th c. In addition, this work contains an updated version, in english, of the original french index of the work that will greatly aid the reader in finding just the right maxim. Humility is often merely feigned submissiveness assumed in order to subject others, an artifice of pride which stoops to conquer, and although pride has a thousand ways of transforming itself it is never so well disguised and able to take people in as. Collected maxims and other reflections, 2008, 400 pages. His collected maxims were revised and the authorized version appeared in 1678.
He served in the army against the spaniards in italy in 1629, in the netherlands and picardy in 163536, and again in flanders in 1639. He participated in military life and supported the interests of the french aristocracy. He is a man for our own impatient, distracted times. Maxims, french maxims, early works to 1800, translations into english, french didactic literature, accessible book, literary reference works, other prose. As rochefoucauld his maxims drew from naturei believe them true. In england, john dryden, alexander pope, and jonathan swift produced some of the most memorable epigrams of their time.
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