Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire)

The first king was a successful soldier;
He who serves well his country has no need of ancestors.
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The first king was a successful soldier;
He who serves well his country has no need of ancestors.
[Fr., Le premier qui fut roi, fut un soldat heureux;
Qui sert bien son pays, n'a pas besoin d'aleux.]

Your Majesty may think me an impatient sick man, and that the
Turks are even sicker.

Your Majesty may think me an impatient sick man, and that the
Turks are even sicker.

All styles are good except the tiresome kind.
[Fr., Tous les genres sont bons, hors le genre ennuyeux.]

All styles are good except the tiresome kind.
[Fr., Tous les genres sont bons, hors le genre ennuyeux.]

The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one
on which depends the rest read more

The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one
on which depends the rest of our days.
[Fr., Le premier pas, mon fils, que l'on fait dans le monde,
Est celui dont depend le reste de nos jours.]

If the bookseller happens to desire a privilege for his
merchandise, whether he is selling Rabelais or the Fathers read more

If the bookseller happens to desire a privilege for his
merchandise, whether he is selling Rabelais or the Fathers of the
Church, the magistrate grants the privilege without answering for
the contents of the book.
- Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire),