The expression "Bel Esprit" is much perverted, for all that one can sa… — Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims
SAPIR 861
The expression "Bel Esprit" is much perverted, for all that one can say of the different kinds of mind meet together in the "Bel Esprit." Yet as the epithet is bestowed on an infinite number of bad poets and tedious authors, it is more often used to ridicule than to praise.
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (WLC), CC BY 4.0