François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis

Cardinal de Bernis

François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis (22 May 1715 – 3 November 1794) was a French cardinal and statesman. He was the sixth member elected to occupy seat 3 of the Académie française in 1744.

Quotes

• Le naturel est le sceau du génie.
  • Réflexions sur les passions et sur les goûts (1741).
  • Translation: Naturalness is the seal of genius.
  • Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 131.

• On ne rit plus, on sourit aujourd'hui,
  Et nos plaisirs sont voisins a l'eunui.
  • Réflexions sur les passions et sur les goûts (1741).
  • Translation: To-day we only smile, we laugh no more,
    And e'en our very pleasures seem to bore.
  • Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 170.

• Malheureux qui craint de rentrer
  Dans la retraite de son âme!
  Le coeur qui cherche a s'ignorer
  Redoute un censeur qui le blâme.
  • Les Quatre saisons, ou les Géorgiques françoises, poëme (1763), Chant IV.
  • Translation: Unhappy he who fears the deep
    Recesses of his soul to scan!
    The heart that from itself would hide
    Fears an unfriendly critic's ban.
  • Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 154.

• L'amour sacré de la patrie.
  • Epítre sur les Mœurs.
  • Translation: The hallowed love of country.
  • Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 87.

• Quel triste élève de la Grè
  Pourrait, en voyant sa beauté,
  Préférer les lis de Lucrèce,
  Et les paleurs de la sagesse,
  Aux roses de la volupté?
  • Le Matin.
  • Translation: What gloomy student of old Greece,
    As on her charms his gaze reposes,
    Would choose the lilies of Lucrece,
    Or virtue's garland colourless,
    In place of passion's roses?
  • Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 192.

• Monseigneur, j'attendrai
  • Translation: Monseigneur, I will wait
  • Translation reported in Art III. Clément XIV et les Jésuits, 83, The Quarterly Review, pp. 86-87