John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 998
| Maurice Maeterlinck. (1862–1949) (continued) |
| 9667 |
| Men’s weaknesses are often necessary to the purposes of life. |
| Joyzelle. Act ii. |
| 9668 |
| All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than the animals that know nothing. A day will come when science will turn upon its error and no longer hesitate to shorten our woes. A day will come when it will dare and act with certainty; when life, grown wiser, will depart silently at its hour, knowing that it has reached its term. |
| Our Eternity. |
| Edmond Rostand. (1868–1918) |
| 9669 |
| Malebranche would have it that not a soul is left; We humbly think that there still are hearts. 1 |
| Chantecler. Prélude. |
| 9670 |
| Without doubt I can teach crowing: for I gobble. 2 |
| Chantecler. Act i. Sc. 2. |
| 9671 |
| I fall back dazzled at beholding myself all rosy red, At having, I myself, caused the sun to rise. 3 |
| Chantecler. Act ii. Sc. 3. |
| 9672 |
| And sounding in advance its victory, My song jets forth so clear, so proud, so peremptory, That the horizon, seized with a rosy trembling, Obeys me. 4 |
| Chantecler. Act ii. Sc. 3. |
| Note 1. Malebranche dirait qu’il n’y a plus une âme: Nous pensons humblement qu’il reste encor des cœurs. [back] |
| Note 2. Sans doute Je peux apprendre à coqueriquer: je glougloute. [back] |
| Note 3. Je recule Ébloui de me voir moi même tout vermeil Et d’avoir, moi, le coq, fait élever le soleil. [back] |
| Note 4. Et sonnant d’avance sa victoire, Mon chant jaillit si net, si fier, si peremptoire Que l’horizon, saisi d’un rose tremblement, M’obéit. [back] |