So far had the pen, under the king, the superiority over the
sword.
[Fr., Tant la plume a read more

So far had the pen, under the king, the superiority over the
sword.
[Fr., Tant la plume a eu sous le roi d'avantage sur l'epee.]

The swifter hand doth the swift words outrun:
Before the tongue hath spoke the hand hath done.

The swifter hand doth the swift words outrun:
Before the tongue hath spoke the hand hath done.

The feather, whence the pen
Was shaped that traced the lives of these good men,
Dropped from read more

The feather, whence the pen
Was shaped that traced the lives of these good men,
Dropped from an Angel's wing.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

From this it appears how much more cruel the pen may be than the
sword.
[Lat., Hinc quam read more

From this it appears how much more cruel the pen may be than the
sword.
[Lat., Hinc quam sit calamus saevior euse, patet.]

For what made that in glory shine so long
But poets' Pens, pluckt from Archangels' wings?

For what made that in glory shine so long
But poets' Pens, pluckt from Archangels' wings?

Whose noble praise
Deserves a quill pluckt from an angel's wing.

Whose noble praise
Deserves a quill pluckt from an angel's wing.

The pen became a clarion.

The pen became a clarion.

If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest
of men, I will find read more

If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest
of men, I will find something in them which will hang him.
[Fr., Qu'on me donne six lignes ecrites de la main du plus
honnete homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.]