Chapter 4

A man born solely to contradict A stranger to remorse and repentance, as well as to honour A pious Capuchin explained her dream to her A cardinal may be poisoned, stabbed, got rid of altogether A good friend when a friend at all, which was rare A King's son, a King's father, and never a King A liar ought to have a good memory A lingering fear lest the sick man should recover A king is made for his subjects, and not the subjects for him Accused of fanaticism, because she refused to cohabit with him Admit our ignorance, and not to give fictions and inventions Adversity is solitary, while prosperity dwells in a crowd Advised the King not to separate himself from his army Ah, Madame, we have all been killed in our masters' service! Air of science calculated to deceive the vulgar Alas! her griefs double mine! All the death-in-life of a convent All priests are to be proscribed as criminals All his creditors, denounced and executed Allowed her candles and as much firewood as she wanted Always sold at a loss which must be sold at a given moment Always has a fictitious malady in reserve Ambition puts a thick bandage over the eyes And then he would go off, laughing in his sleeve And scarcely a woman; for your answers are very short Aptitude did not come up to my desire Armed with beauty and sarcasm Arranged his affairs that he died without money Art of satisfying people even while he reproved their requests Artagnan, captain of the grey musketeers As confident and obstinate as ignorant As everywhere else, supported injustice by violence Asked the King a hundred questions, which is not the fashion Bad company spoils good manners Bad habit of talking very indiscreetly before others Beaumarchais sent arms to the Americans Because he is fat, he is thought dull and heavy Because the Queen has only the rinsings of the glass Believed that to undertake and succeed were only the same things Bestowing on the Almighty the passions of mortals Better to die than to implicate anybody Bonaparte dreads more the liberty of the Press than all other Bonaparte and his wife go now every morning to hear Mass Bourrienne Bow to their charlatanism as if it was sublimity Brought me her daughter Hortense de Beauharnais But all shame is extinct in France But with a crawling baseness equal to her previous audacity Can make a Duchess a beggar, but cannot make a beggar a Duchess Cannot reconcile themselves to what exists Cannot be expressed, and if expressed, would not be believed Canvassing for a majority to set up D'Orleans Capacity was small, and yet he believed he knew everything Carried the idea of the prerogative of rank to a high pitch Chevalier of the Guillotine: Toureaux Clergy enjoyed one-third the national revenues Clouds--you may see what you please in them Comeliness of his person, which at all times pleads powerfully Common and blamable practice of indulgence Compelled to pay, who would have preferred giving voluntarily Complacency which may be felt, but ought never to be published Condescension which renders approbation more offensive Conduct of the sort which cements and revives attachments Conjugal impatience of the Duc de Bourgogne Console me on the morrow for what had troubled me to-day Countries of the Inquisition, where science is a crime Country where power forces the law to lie dormant Cuddlings and caresses of decrepitude Customs are nearly equal to laws Danger of inducing hypocrisy by placing devotion too high Danger of confiding the administration to noblemen Dared to say to me, so he writes Dead always in fault, and cannot be put out of sight too soon Death came to laugh at him for the sweating labour he had taken Declaring the Duke of Orleans the constitutional King Depicting other figures she really portrays her own Depopulated a quarter of the realm Desmarets no longer knew of what wood to make a crutch Difference between brilliant theories and the simplest practice Dignified tone which alone secures the respect due to power Displaying her acquirements with rather too much confidence Distinguished for their piety or rewarded for their flattery Do not repulse him in his fond moments Domestics included two nurses, a waiting-maid, a physician Duc de Grammont, then Ambassador, played the Confessor Duc d'Orleans, when called on to give his vote for death of King Duplicity passes for wit, and frankness is looked upon as folly Easy to give places to men to whom Nature has refused parts Educate his children as quietists in matters of religion Elegant entertainments were given to Doctor Franklin Embonpoint of the French Princesses Encounter with dignity and self-command unbecoming provocations Enriched one at the expense of the other Envy and malice are self-deceivers Error to admit any neutrality at all Etiquette still existed at Court, dignity alone was wanting Even doubt whether he believes in the existence of a God Everything in the world bore a double aspect Exceeded all that was promised of her, and all that I had hoped Exclaimed so long against high head-dresses Expeditious justice, as it is called here Extravagances of a head filled with paradoxes Extravagant, without the means to be so Extreme simplicity was the Queens first and only real mistake Fashion of wearing a black coat without being in mourning Fatal error of conscious rectitude Favourite of a queen is not, in France, a happy one Feel themselves injured by the favour shown to others Feeling, however, the want of consolation in their misfortunes Few would be enriched at the expense of the many Few individuals except Princesses do with parade and publicity Follies and superstitions as the rosaries and other things Foolishly occupying themselves with petty matters For penance: "we must make our servants fast" For want of better support I sustained myself with courage Forced military men to kneel before priests Formed rather to endure calamity with patience than to contend Formerly the custom to swear horridly on all occasions Found it easier to fly into a rage than to reply Frailty in the ambitious, through which the artful can act French people do not do things by halves French Revolution was fostered by robbery and murder Frequent and excessive bathing have undermined her health Fresh proof of the intrigues of the Jesuits From bad to worse was easy From faith to action the bridge is short Future effects dreaded from its past enormities General who is too fond of his life ought never to enter a camp Generals of Cabinets are often indifferent captains in the field God is only the invention of fear Gold, changes black to white, guilt to innocence Grand-Dieu, mamma! will it be yesterday over again? Great filthiness in the interior of their houses Great things originated from the most insignificant trifles Grow like a dilapidated house; I am only here to repair myself Hail their sophistry and imposture as inspiration Happiness does not dwell in palaces Happy with him as a woman who takes her husband's place can be Hate me, but fear me He was scarcely taught how to read or write He was accused of putting on an imperceptible touch of rouge He was too honest to judge soundly and to act rightly He contradicted me about trifles He liked nobody to be in any way superior to him He always slept in the Queen's bed He is afraid to command He was not fool enough for his place He who quits the field loses it He limped audaciously He was a good sort of man, notwithstanding his weaknesses He had good natural wit, but was extremely ignorant He had pleased (the King) by his drugs He was born bored; he was so accustomed to live out of himself He was so good that I sometimes reproached him for it He was often firm in promises Hearsay liable to be influenced by ignorance or malice Height to which her insignificance had risen Her present Serene Idiot, as she styles the Prince Borghese Her teeth were very ugly, being black and broken (Queen) Hero of great ambition and small capacity: La Fayette His ruin was resolved on; they passed to the order of the day His death, so happy for him and so sad for his friends His habits were publicly known to be those of the Greeks His great piety contributed to weaken his mind His seraglio in the Parc-aux-Cerfs History of the man with the iron mask Honesty is to be trusted before genius Honour grows again as well as hair Honours and success are followed by envy Hopes they (enemies) should hereafter become our friends How difficult it is to do good How much people talk about what they do not comprehend How can I have any regret when I partake your misfortunes How many reputations are gained by an impudent assurance I love the conveniences of life too well I am unquestionably very ugly I do not like these rhapsodies I had a mind, he said, to commit one sin, but not two I hate all that savours of fanaticism I formed a religion of my own I dared not touch that string I abhorred to gain at the expense of others I thought I should win it, and so I lost it I have seldom been at a loss for something to laugh at I myself being the first to make merry at it (my plainness) I should praise you more had you praised me less I never take medicine but on urgent occasions I wished the husband not to be informed of it If Bonaparte is fond of flattery--pays for it like a real Emperor If ever I establish a republic of women.... If I should die, shall I not have lived long enough? Ignorance and superstition the first of virtues Imagining themselves everywhere in marvellous danger of capture In order to say something cutting to you, says it to himself In England a man is the absolute proprietor of his wife In the great world, a vague promise is the same as a refusal In Rome justice and religion always rank second to politics In ill-assorted unions, good sense or good nature must intervene Indifference of the French people to all religion Indifference about futurity Indiscreet and tyrannical charity Indulge in the pleasure of vice and assume the credit of virtue Infinite astonishment at his sharing the common destiny Interests of all interested painted on their faces Intimacy, once broken, cannot be renewed Invention of new tortures and improved racks Irresolution and weakness in a commander operate the same It is easier to offend me than to deceive me It is an unfortunate thing for a man not to know himself It was not permitted to argue with him It is an ill wind that blows no one any good It is the usual frailty of our sex to be fond of flattery It is a sign that I have touched the sore poin Its pretensions rose in proportion to the condescensions Jealous of his wife as a lover of his mistress Jealous without motive, and almost without love Jesuits: all means were good that furthered his designs Jewels and decoration attract attention (to the ugly) Judge of men by the company they keep Juggle, which put the wealth of Peter into the pockets of Paul Justice is invoked in vain when the criminal is powerful King was being wheeled in his easy chair in the gardens King (gave) the fatal order to the Swiss to cease firing Kings only desire to be obeyed when they command Knew how to point the Bastille cannon at the troops of the King La Fayette to rescue the royal family and convey them to Rouen Labour as much as possible in the dark Laughed at qualities she could not comprehend Laws will only be as so many black lines on white paper Leave me in peace; be assured that I can put no heir in danger Les culottes--what do you call them?' 'Small clothes,' Less easily forget the injuries we inflict than those received Like will to like Listeners never hear any good of themselves Louis Philippe, the usurper of the inheritance of her family Louis XIV. scarcely knew how to read and write Love of life increase in proportion as its real value diminishes Love-affair between Mademoiselle de la Valliere and the King Lovers are not criminal in the estimation of one another Madame de Montespan had died of an attack of coquetry Madame made the Treaty of Sienna Madame de Sevigne Madame de Maintenon in returning young and poor from America Made his mistresses treat her with all becoming respect Make religion a little more palpable Manifesto of a man who disgorges his bile Many an aching heart rides in a carriage Marble lives longer than man May change his habitations six times in the month--yet be home Men and women, old men and children are no more Mightily tired of masters and books Military diplomacy Mind well stored against human casualties Mirabeau forgot that it was more easy to do harm than good Misfortunes and proscription would not only inspire courage Mistrust is the sure forerunner of hatred Money the universal lever, and you are in want of it Monseigneur, who had been out wolf-hunting More facility I have as King to gratify myself More vain than ambitious More dangerous to attack the habits of men than their religion Most intriguing little Carmelite in the kingdom Much is forgiven to a king My maid always sleeps with me when my husband is absent My husband proposed separate beds My little English protegee My means were the boundaries of my wants My wife went to bed, and received a crowd of visitors My father fortunately found a library which amused him Napoleon invasion of States of the American Commonwealth Nature has destined him to obey, and not to govern Necessity is said to be the mother of invention Never been able to bend her to a more human way of life Never was a man so ready with tears, so backward with grief Never approached any other man near enough to know a difference Never shall a drop of French blood be shed by my order No ears that will discover when she (The Princess) is out of tune No accounting for the caprices of a woman No one is more dangerous than a man clothed with recent authority No phrase becomes a proverb until after a century's experience No man more ignorant of religion than the King was No means, therefore, of being wise among so many fools Nobility becoming poor could not afford to buy the high offices None but little minds dreaded little books Not show it off was as if one only possessed a kennel Not only portable guillotines, but portable Jacobin clubs Not to repose too much confidence in our friends Not suspected of any vices, but all his virtues are negative Not allowing ecclesiastics to meddle with public affairs Not lawful to investigate in matters of religion Nothing was decided, though nothing was refused Now that she is old (as is generally the case), turned devotee Observe the least pretension on account of the rank or fortune Of course I shall be either hissed or applauded. Of a politeness that was unendurable Offering you the spectacle of my miseries Oh, my lord! how many virtues you make me detest Old Maintenon Omissions must be repaired as soon as they are perceived On domestic management depends the preservation of their fortune One of the negative accomplices of the criminal Only retire to make room for another race Only your illegitimate daughter Opinion almost constitutes half the strength of armies Original manuscripts of the Memoirs of Cardinal Retz Others were not allowed to dream as he had lived Over-caution may produce evils almost equal to carelessness Panegyric of the great Edmund Burke upon Marie Antoinette Parliament aided the King to expel the Jesuits from France Pension is granted on condition that his poems are never printed People with difficulty believe what they have seen People in independence are only the puppets of demagogues People who had only sores to share Permissible neither to applaud nor to hiss Persuaded themselves they understood each other Pleasure of making a great noise at little expense Poetry without rhapsody Policy, in sovereigns, is paramount to every other Polite when necessary, but insolent when he dared Pope excommunicated those who read the book or kept it Pope not been ashamed to extol the Saint-Bartholomew Prefer truth to embellishment Prelate on whom Bonaparte intends to confer the Roman tiara Prepared to become your victim, but not your accomplice Present princes and let those be scandalised who will! Presumptuous charlatan Pretensions or passions of upstart vanity Prevent disorder from organising itself Pride of an insupportable and outrageous ambition Princes thus accustomed to be treated as divinities Princess at 12 years was not mistress of the whole alphabet Procure him after a useless life, a glorious death Promises of impostors or fools to delude the ignorant Promotion was granted according to length of service Provided they are talked of, they are satisfied Prudence without weakness, and with firmness without obstinacy Quiet work of ruin by whispers and detraction Rabble, always ready to insult genius, virtue, and misfortune Rather out of contempt, and because it was good policy Received all the Court in her bed Regardlessness of appearances Reproaches rarely succeed in love Respectful without servility Revocation of the edict of Nantes Revolution not as the Americans, founded on grievances Ridicule, than which no weapon is more false or deadly Robes battantes for the purpose of concealing her pregnancy Rome must be infallible, or she is nothing Said that if they were good, they were sure to be hated Saints supplied her with a finger, a toe, or some other parts Salaries as the men, under the name of washerwomen Salique Laws Satire without bitterness Satisfying himself with keeping three mistresses only Saw peace desired were they less inclined to listen to terms Saw no other advantage in it than that of saving her own life Says all that he means, and resolutely means all that he can say Scarcely any history has been written at first hand Seeing myself look as ugly as I really am (in a mirror) Seeing him eat olives with a fork! Sending astronomers to Mexico and Peru, to measure the earth Sentiment is more prompt, and inspires me with fear She often carried her economy to a degree of parsimony She never could be agreeable to women She lose her head, and her accomplice to be broken on the wheel She drives quick and will certainly be overturned on the road She always says the right thing in the right place She awaits your replies without interruption Shocking to find so little a man in the son of the Marechal Should our system of cringing continue progressively Shun all kinds of confidence Simplicity of the Queen's toilet began to be strongly censured Since becoming Queen she had not had a day of real happiness Situated as I was betwixt fear and hope Situations in life where we are condemned to see evil done So many crimes perpetrated under that name (liberty) So great a fear of hell had been instilled into the King Sold cats' meat and tripe in the streets of Rome Soon tired of war, and wishing to return home (Louis XIV) Spark of ambition would have destroyed all his edifice Spirit of party can degrade the character of a nation Spoil all by asking too much Spoke only about as much as three or four women Step is but short from superstition to infidelity Stout, healthy girl of nineteen had no other sins to confess Subject to frequent fits of abstraction Subjecting the vanquished to be tried by the conquerors Sufferings of individuals, he said, are nothing Sulpicians Supported by unanswerable reasons that did not convince Suppression of all superfluous religious institutions Suspicion and tyranny are inseparable companions Suspicion of a goitre, which did not ill become her Suspicion is evidence Sworn that she had thought of nothing but you all her life Taken pains only to render himself beloved by his pupil Talent without artifice Tastes may change Teacher lost little, because he had little to lose Thank Heaven, I am out of harness That what he called love was mere debauchery That air of truth which always carries conviction That Which Often It is Best to Ignore The Jesuits were suppressed The emigrant party have their intrigues and schemes The King delighted to manage the most disgraceful points The charge of extravagance The three ministers, more ambitious than amorous The anti-Austrian party, discontented and vindictive The author (Beaumarchais) was sent to prison soon afterwards The record of the war is as the smoke of a furnace The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day The pretended reformed religion The King replied that "too much was too much" The King remained as if paralysed and stupefied The shortness of each day was his only sorrow The safest place on the Continent The most horrible sights have often ridiculous contrasts The old woman (Madame Maintenon) The nothingness of what the world calls great destinies The argument of interest is the best of all with monks The clergy, to whom envy is not unfamiliar The pulpit is in want of comedians; they work wonders there The monarch suddenly enough rejuvenated his attire The porter and the soldier were arrested and tortured Then comes discouragement; after that, habit There was no end to the outrageous civilities of M. de Coislin There is not one real patriot among all this infamous horde There is too much of it for earnest, and not enough for jest There is an exaggeration in your sorrow These expounders--or confounders--of codes These liars in surplice, in black cassock, or in purple They ought to be just before they are generous They will create some quarrel to destroy you They say you live very poorly here, Moliere This is the age of upstarts," said Talleyrand Those muskets were immediately embarked and sold to the Americans Those who have given offence to hate the offended party Those who did it should not pretend to wish to remedy it Thought at least extraordinary, even by our friends Thought himself eloquent when only insolent or impertinent Throw his priest into the Necker Time, the irresistible healer To tell the truth, I was never very fond of having children To despise money, is to despise happiness, liberty... To be accused was to incur instant death To die is the least event of my life (Maintenon) To be formally mistress, a husband had to be found To embellish my story I have neither leisure nor ability Touched, but like a man who does not wish to seem so Traducing virtues the slanderers never possessed Troubles might not be lasting True nobility, gentlemen, consists in giving proofs of it Trust not in kings Two hundred and twenty thousand prostitute licenses Under the notion of being frank, are rude Underrated what she could not imitate United States will be exposed to Napoleon's outrages Unreasonable love of admiration, was his ruin Usurped the easy direction of ignorance Ventured to give such rash advice: inoculation Vices or virtues of all civilized nations are relatively the same Violent passion had changed to mere friendship Want is the parent of industry Was but one brilliant action that she could perform We are tired of everything, even of our existence We die as we have lived, and 'tis rare it happens otherwise We say "inexpressibles We look upon you as a cat, or a dog, and go on talking We must have obedience, and no reasoning Weeping just as if princes had not got to die like anybody else Well, this is royally ill played! Went so far as to shed tears, his most difficult feat of all Were my generals as great fools as some of my Ministers What they need is abstinence, prohibitions, thwartings What do young women stand in need of?--Mothers! Whatever course I adopt many people will condemn me When the only security of a King rests upon his troops When one has been pretty, one imagines that one is still so When kings become prisoners they are very near death When women rule their reign is always stormy and troublous When one has seen him, everything is excusable Where the knout is the logician Which crime in power has interest to render impenetrable While the Queen was blamed, she was blindly imitated Whispered in his mother's ear, "Was that right?" Whitehall, the largest and ugliest palace in Europe Who counted others only as they stood in relation to himself Who confound logic with their wishes Who complains is shot as a conspirator Wife: property or of furniture, useful to his house Wise and disdainful silence is difficult to keep under reverses Wish you had the generosity to show, now and again, less wit Wish art to eclipse nature With us, unfortunately, suspicion is the same as conviction With him one's life was safe Women who misconduct themselves are pitiless and severe Won for himself a great name and great wealth by words World; so unreasoning, and so little in accord with itself Would you like to be a cardinal? I can manage that "Would be a pity," she said, "to stop when so fairly on the road" Would cease to rule the day he became just You are a King; you weep, and yet I go You never look in a mirror when you pass it You know, madame, that he generally gets everything he wants You tell me bad news: having packed up, I had rather go Young Prince suffered from the rickets Young girls seldom take much notice of children Your swords have rusted in their scabbards