Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims — François de La Rochefoucauld

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

François de La Rochefoucauld · Licence: Public domain · Source

• Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer ¶1
• By Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marsillac ¶3
• Translated from the Editions of 1678 and 1827 with introduction, notes, and some account of the author and his times. ¶4
• By J. W. Willis Bund, M.A. LL.B and J. Hain Friswell ¶5
• Simpson Low, Son, and Marston, 188, Fleet Street. ¶6
• "As Rochefoucauld his maxims drew From Nature--I believe them true. They argue no corrupted mind In him; the fault is in mankind."--Swift. ¶10
• "Les Maximes de la Rochefoucauld sont des proverbs des gens d'esprit."--Montesquieu. ¶11
• "Maxims are the condensed good sense of nations."--Sir J. Mackintosh. ¶12
• "Translators should not work alone; for good Et Propria Verba do not always occur to one mind."--Luther's Table Talk, iii. ¶13
• Preface (translator's) Introduction (translator's) Reflections and Moral Maxims First Supplement Second Supplement Third Supplement Reflections on Various Subjects Index ¶15
• *In all the French editions this book is spoken of as published in 1693. The only copy I have seen is in the Cambridge University Library, 47, 16, 81, and is called "Reflexions Morales." ¶20
• The fifth count, one of the ministers of Louis XIII., after fighting against the English and Buckingham at the Ile de Re, was created a duke. His son Francis, the second duke, by his writings has made the family name a household word. ¶29
• The fifth duke, banished from Court by Louis XV., became the friend of the philosopher Voltaire. ¶31
• But Richelieu of course discovered this plot, and Rochefoucauld was, of course, sent to the Bastile. He was liberated after a week's imprisonment, but banished to his chateau at Verteuil. ¶36
• The reason for this clemency was that the Cardinal desired to win Rochefoucauld from the Queen's party. A command in the army was offered to him, but by the Queen's orders refused. ¶37
• This completed Rochefoucauld's active life. ¶45
• When he recovered his health, he devoted himself to society. Madame de Sable assumed a hold over him. He lived a quiet life, and occupied himself in composing an account of his early life, called his "Memoirs," and his immortal "Maxims." ¶46
• From the time he ceased to take part in public life, Rochefoucauld's real glory began. Having acted the various parts of soldier, politician, and lover with but small success, he now commenced the part of moralist, by which he is known to the world. ¶47
• Dr. Johnson speaks of it as "the only book written by a man of fashion, of which professed authors need be jealous." ¶55
• "I love my friends; and I love them to such an extent that I would not for a moment weigh my interest against theirs. I condescend to them, I patiently endure their bad temper. But, also, I do not make much of their caresses, and I do not feel great uneasiness in their absence. ¶68
• Such is his own description of himself. Let us now turn to the other picture, delineated by the man who was his bitterest enemy, and whom (we say it with regret) Rochefoucauld tried to murder. ¶72
• As to the author, M. Sainte Beuve says:--"C'etait un misanthrope poli, insinuant, souriant, qui precedait de bien peu et preparait avec charme l'autre MISANTHROPE." ¶81
• As to the book, Mr. Hallam says:--"Among the books in ancient and modern times which record the conclusions of observing men on the moral qualities of their fellows, a high place should be reserved for the Maxims of Rochefoucauld". ¶82
• Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised. ¶84
• 1.--What we term virtue is often but a mass of various actions and divers interests, which fortune, or our own industry, manage to arrange; and it is not always from valour or from chastity that men are brave, and women chaste. ¶86
• "Who combats bravely is not therefore brave, He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave; Who reasons wisely is not therefore wise, His pride in reasoning, not in acting, lies." Pope, Moral Essays, Ep. i. line 115. ¶87
• 2.--Self-love is the greatest of flatterers. ¶88
• 3.--Whatever discoveries have been made in the region of self-love, there remain many unexplored territories there. ¶89
• 4.--Self love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world. ¶91
• 5.--The duration of our passions is no more dependant upon us than the duration of our life. [Then what becomes of free will?--Aime; Martin] ¶92
• 6.--Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and even sometimes renders the most foolish man clever. ¶93
• 8.--The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without. ¶95
• 9.--The passions possess a certain injustice and self interest which makes it dangerous to follow them, and in reality we should distrust them even when they appear most trustworthy. ¶97
• 10.--In the human heart there is a perpetual generation of passions; so that the ruin of one is almost always the foundation of another. ¶98
• 11.--Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice; we are often obstinate through weakness and daring though timidity. ¶99
• 12.--Whatever care we take to conceal our passions under the appearances of piety and honour, they are always to be seen through these veils. ¶100
• 13.--Our self love endures more impatiently the condemnation of our tastes than of our opinions. ¶102
• 14.--Men are not only prone to forget benefits and injuries; they even hate those who have obliged them, and cease to hate those who have injured them. The necessity of revenging an injury or of recompensing a benefit seems a slavery to which they are unwilling to submit. ¶103
• 15.--The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people. ¶104
• 16.--This clemency of which they make a merit, arises oftentimes from vanity, sometimes from idleness, oftentimes from fear, and almost always from all three combined. ¶106

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