François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis
Catholic cardinal (1715-1794)
François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis (22 May 1715 – 3 November 1794) was a French cardinal and statesman. He was the sixth member elected to occupy seat 3 of the Académie française in 1744.
Quotes
edit- Le naturel est le sceau du génie.
- Réflexions sur les passions et sur les goûts (1741).
- Translation: Naturalness is the seal of genius.
- Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 131.
- On ne rit plus, on sourit aujourd'hui,
Et nos plaisirs sont voisins a l'eunui.- Réflexions sur les passions et sur les goûts (1741).
- Translation: To-day we only smile, we laugh no more,
And e'en our very pleasures seem to bore. - Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 170.
- Malheureux qui craint de rentrer
Dans la retraite de son âme!
Le coeur qui cherche a s'ignorer
Redoute un censeur qui le blâme.- Les Quatre saisons, ou les Géorgiques françoises, poëme (1763), Chant IV.
- Translation: Unhappy he who fears the deep
Recesses of his soul to scan!
The heart that from itself would hide
Fears an unfriendly critic's ban. - Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 154.
- L'amour sacré de la patrie.
- Epítre sur les Mœurs.
- Translation: The hallowed love of country.
- Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 87.
- Quel triste élève de la Grè
Pourrait, en voyant sa beauté,
Préférer les lis de Lucrèce,
Et les paleurs de la sagesse,
Aux roses de la volupté?- Le Matin.
- Translation: What gloomy student of old Greece,
As on her charms his gaze reposes,
Would choose the lilies of Lucrece,
Or virtue's garland colourless,
In place of passion's roses? - Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 192.
- Monseigneur, j'attendrai
- Translation: Monseigneur, I will wait
- Translation reported in Art III. Clément XIV et les Jésuits, 83, The Quarterly Review, pp. 86-87