Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire)

The first king was a successful soldier;
He who serves well his country has no need of ancestors.
read more

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.

Satire lies about literary men while they live and eulogy lies
about them when they die.
[Fr., La read more

Satire lies about literary men while they live and eulogy lies
about them when they die.
[Fr., La satire ment sur les gens de lettres pendant leur vie, et
l'eloge ment apres leur mort.]

It is today, my dear, that I take a perilous leap.
[Fr., C'est demain, me belle amie, que je read more

It is today, my dear, that I take a perilous leap.
[Fr., C'est demain, me belle amie, que je fais le saut
perilleux.]

I have always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it
is: "My God, make our read more

I have always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it
is: "My God, make our enemies very ridiculous!" God has granted
it to me.