Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux

Happy the poet who with ease can steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
[Lat., read more

Happy the poet who with ease can steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
[Lat., Heureux qui, dans ses vers, sait d'une voix legere
Passer du grave au doux, du plaisant au severe.]

Often the fear on one evil leads us into a worse.
[Fr., Souvent la peur d'un mal nous conduit read more

Often the fear on one evil leads us into a worse.
[Fr., Souvent la peur d'un mal nous conduit dans un pire.]

Gold gives an appearance of beauty even to ugliness: but with
poverty everything becomes frightful.
[Fr., L'or meme read more

Gold gives an appearance of beauty even to ugliness: but with
poverty everything becomes frightful.
[Fr., L'or meme a la laideur donne un teint de beaute:
Mais tout devient affreux avec la pauvrete.]

Every age has its pleasures, its style of wit, and its own ways.

Every age has its pleasures, its style of wit, and its own ways.

Honor is like an island, rugged and without shores; we can never
re-enter it once we are on the read more

Honor is like an island, rugged and without shores; we can never
re-enter it once we are on the outside.
[Fr., L'honneur est comme une ile escarpee et sans bords;
On n'y peut plus rentrer des qu'on en est dehors.]