Francois Rabelais
Francois Rabelais
François Rabelaiswas a major French Renaissance writer, physician, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs. His best known work is Gargantua and Pantagruel. Because of his literary power and historical importance, Western literary critics considered him one of the great writers of world literature and among the creators of modern European writing. His literary legacy is such that today, the word "Rabelaisian" has been...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionClergyman
CountryFrance
I never sleep in comfort save when I am hearing a sermon or praying to God.
The dress does not make the monk. [Fr., L'habit ne fait le moine.]
Can there be any greater dotage in the world than for one to guide and direct his courses by the sound of a bell, and not by his own judgment.
It is the custom on Africa to always produce new and monstrous things. [Fr., Afrique est coustumiere toujours choses produire nouvelles et monstrueuses.]
Row on [whatever happens]. [Lat., Vogue la galere.]
Against fortune the carter cracks his whip in vain. [Fr., Centre fortune, la diverse un chartier rompit nazardes son fouet.]
Hungry bellies have no ears. [Fr., La ventre affame n'point d'oreilles.]
There are more old drunkards than old physicians. [Fr., Il y a plus de vieux ivrongnes qu'il y a de vieux medecins.]
What harm in learning and getting knowledge even from a sot, a pot, a fool, a mitten, or a slipper. [Fr., Que nuist savoir tousjours et tousjours apprendre, fust ce D'un sot, d'une pot, d'une que--doufle D'un mouffe, d'un pantoufle.]
Do not limp before the lame. [Old Fr., Ne clochez pas devant les boyteus.]
We will take the good-will for the deed.
Pantagruelism is a certain gaitey of the spirit consisting in a disdain for the hazards of fortune.
Few and signally blessed are those whom Jupiter has destined to be cabbage-planters. For they've always one foot on the ground andthe other not far from it. Anyone is welcome to argue about felicity and supreme happiness. But the man who plants cabbages I now positively declare to be the happiest of mortals.
One should never pursue the hazards of fortune to their very ends andit behooves all adventurers to treat their good luck with reverence, neither bothering nor upsetting it.