John Bartlett (18201905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 987
François Marie Arouet de Voltaire. (16941778) (continued)
9591 History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes. 1
LIngénu. Chap. x. (1767.)
9592 The first who was king was a fortunate soldier: Who serves his country well has no need of ancestors. 2
Merope. Act i. Sc. 3.
9593 In the best of possible worlds the château of monseigneur the baron was the most beautiful of châteaux, and madame the best of possible baronesses.
Candide. Chap. i.
9594 In this country [England] it is well to kill from time to time an admiral to encourage the others.
Candide. Chap. xxiii.
9595 The superfluous, a very necessary thing.
Le Mondain. Line 21.
9596 Crush the infamous thing.
Letter to dAlembert, June 23, 1760.
9597 There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times.
Letter to Cardinal de Bernis, April 23, 1761.
9598 The proper mean. 3
Letter to Count dArgental, Nov. 28, 1765.
9599 It is said that God is always on the side of the heaviest battalions. 4
Letter to M. le Riche, Feb. 6, 1770.
9600 Love truth, but pardon error.
Discours sur lHomme. Discours 3.
Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand. (16971780)
9601 He [Voltaire] has invented history. 5
9602 It is only the first step which costs. 6
In reply to the Cardinal de Polignac.
Note 1. See Gibbon, Quotation 1 . [back ]Note 2. See Scott, Quotation 72 . Borrowed from Lefranc de Pompignans Didon. [back ]Note 3. See Cowper, Quotation 112 . [back ]Note 4. See Gibbon, Quotation 6 . Bussy Rabutin: Lettres, iv. 91. Sévigne: Lettre à sa Fille, p. 202. Tacitus : Historia, iv. 17. Terence : Phormio, i. 4. 26. [back ]Note 5. Fournier: LEsprit dans lHistoire, p. 191. [back ]Note 6. Voltaire writes to Madame du Deffand, January, 1764, that one of her bon-mots is quoted in the notes of La Pucelle, canto 1: Il ny a que le premier pas qui coûte. [back ]