Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontainewas the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional languages...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth8 July 1621
CountryFrance
Jean de La Fontaine quotes about
editors devil journalism
Every newspaper editor owes tribute to the devil. [Fr., Tout faiseur de journaux doit tribut au Malin.]
slave habit
Habit, to which all of us are more or less slaves.
destiny men evil
The good, we do it; the evil, that is fortune; man is always right, and destiny always wrong.
men cunning brutes
What is denominated discretion in man we call cunning in brutes.
eye criticism moles
Lynx-eyes toward our equals, and moles to ourselves. [Fr., Lynx envers nos pareils, et taupes envers nous.]
children childhood age
But a rascal of a child (that age is without pity). [Fr., Mais un pripon d'enfant (cet age est sans pitie).
men cows wells
If every man works at that for which nature fitted him, the cows will be well tended.
editors devil pay
Every editor of newspapers pays tribute to the devil.
talent
Let us not overstrain our talents, lest we do nothing gracefully.
life inspirational-life home
One returns to the place one came from.
secret
Nothing weighs more than a secret.
strength patience time
By time and toil we sever What strength and rage could never.
lying men ice
Man is ice to truth and fire to falsehood.
But the shortest works are always the best.