John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
9676 Misellaneous Translations John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 9676 |
| AUTHOR: | Miscellaneous Translations |
| QUOTATION: | All is lost save honour. 1 |
| Note 1. It was from the imperial camp near Pavia that Francis I., before leaving for Pizzighettone, wrote to his mother the memorable letter which, thanks to tradition, has become altered to the form of this sublime laconism: “Madame, tout est perdu fors l’honneur.” The true expression is, “Madame, pour vous faire savoir comme se porte le reste de mon infortune, de toutes choses ne m’est demeuré que l’honneur et la vie qui est sauvé.”—Martin: Histoire de France, tome viii. The correction of this expression was first made by Sismondi, vol. xvi. pp. 241, 242. The letter itself is printed entire in Dulaure’s “Histoire de Paris”: “Pour vous avertir comment se porte le ressort de mon infortune, de toutes choses ne m’est demeuré que l’honneur et la vie,—qui est sauvé.” [back] |