Jean de La Fontaine Quotations | Page 2

Tis thus we heed no instincts but our own, Believe no evil, till the evil's done. [Fr., Nous n'ecoutons d'instincts que ceux qui sont les notres. Et ne croyons le mal que quand il est venu.]

The best laid plot can injure its maker, and often a man's perfidy will rebound on himself.

Cats know not how to pardon.

If you deal with a fox, think of his tricks.

We heed no instincts but our own.

Too many expedients may spoil an affair. [Fr., Le trop d'expedients peut gater une affaire.]

O tyrant love, when held by you, We may to prudence bid adieu. [Fr., Amour! Amour! quand tu nous tiens On peut bien dire, Adieu, prudence.]

Every newspaper editor owes tribute to the devil. [Fr., Tout faiseur de journaux doit tribut au Malin.]

Habit, to which all of us are more or less slaves.

The good, we do it; the evil, that is fortune; man is always right, and destiny always wrong.

What is denominated discretion in man we call cunning in brutes.

Lynx-eyes toward our equals, and moles to ourselves. [Fr., Lynx envers nos pareils, et taupes envers nous.]

But a rascal of a child (that age is without pity). [Fr., Mais un pripon d'enfant (cet age est sans pitie).

The sign brings customers.

If every man works at that for which nature fitted him, the cows will be well tended.

Every editor of newspapers pays tribute to the devil.

Let us not overstrain our talents, lest we do nothing gracefully.

Nothing weighs more than a secret.

By time and toil we sever What strength and rage could never.

Man is ice to truth and fire to falsehood.

We believe easily what we fear of what we desire

We ought to consider the end in everything.

Imitators are a slavish herd and fools in my opinion.

We become innocent when we are unfortunate.

Foxes are all tail, and women all tongue.

A mountain in labour shouted so loud that everyone, summoned by the noise, ran up expecting that she would be delivered of a city bigger than Paris; she brought forth a mouse.

Rogues are always found out in some way. Whoever is a wolf will act like a wolf, that is most certain.

Silent people are dangerous; others are not so. [Fr., Les gens sans bruit sont dangereux; Il n'en est pas ainsi des autres.]

One should oblige everyone to the extent of one's ability. One often needs someone smaller than oneself.

The fastidious are unfortunate: nothing can satisfy them. [Lat., Les delicats sont malheureux, Rien ne saurait les satisfaire.]

By the work one knows the workman.

Le geai pare des plumes du paon. A bluejay in peacock feathers.

O love, when thou gettest dominion over us, we may bid good-by to prudence.

The more wary you are of danger, the more likely you are to meet it.

Un auteur ga" te tout quand il veut trop bien faire. An author spoils everything when he wants too much to do good.

We ought never to scoff at the wretched, for who can be sure of continued happiness?

People who make no noise are dangerous.

In everything one must consider the end.

Half of today is better than all of tomorrow.

We risk all in being too greedy.

In this world we must help one another.

Love cries victory when the tears of a woman become the sole defence of her virtue.

A hungry stomach cannot hear.

Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.

Nothing is so oppressive as a secret: women find it difficult to keep one long; and I know a goodly number of men who are women in this regard.

The finest victory is to conquer one's own heart.

Socrates, when informed of some derogating speeches one had used concerning him behind his back, made only this facetious reply, "Let him beat me too when I am absent.

To live lightheartedly but not recklessly; to be gay without being boisterous; to be courageous without being bold; to show trust and cheerful resignation without fatalism - this is the art of living.

Our destiny is frequently met in the very paths we take to avoid it.

All the brains in the world are powerless against the sort of stupidity that is in fashion.

He knows the universe and does not know himself.

Often we find our own destiny on the same roads that we have been avoiding.

In every trouble the little ones duck more easily.