(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO J.H. ROSNY Πᾶς δ’ ὀδυνηρὸς βίος ἀνθρώπων, κοὐκ ἔστι πόνων ἀνάπαυσις. ἄλλο τι τοῦ ζῆν φίλτερον, ἀλλ’ ὃ σκότος ἀμπίσχων κρύπτει νεφέλαις. (Euripides, Hippolytus, 190 sqq.)[1] [Footnote 1: “All the life of man is full of pain, and there is no surcease of sorrow. If there be aught better elsewhere than […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO FÉLIX JEANTET La Bocca sua non diceva se non Jesù e Caterina, e cosi dicendo ricevatti el capo nelle mani mie, fermando l’occhio nella Divina Bontà, e dicendo: lo voglio…. (Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena.–xcvii, Gigli e Burlamacchi.)[1] [Footnote 1: “His mouth spake no word but only Jesus and […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO HENRI LAVEDAN . . . . . . . . Par cest ymage Te doing en pleige Jhesu-Crist Qui tout fist, ainsi est escript: Il te pleige tout ton avoir; Ne peuz nulz si bon pleige avoir. (Miracles de Notre-Dame par personnages, publ. par. G. Paris et U. Robert.)[1] [Footnote 1: […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO MADEMOISELLE MARY FINALY Tu tibi divitias stolidissime congeris amplas, Negasque micam pauperi; Advenit ecce dies qua saevis ignibus ardens Rogabis aquae guttulam.[1] (Navis stultifera, Sebastian Brandt, 1507, fol, xix.) [Footnote 1: “You heap up in your folly ample riches for yourself, and refuse a crumb of bread to the poor man; […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO EUG�NE M�NTZ Buonamico di Cristofano detto Buffalmacco pittore Fiorentino, il qual fu discepolo d’ Andrea Tafi, e come uomo burlevole celebrato da Messer Giovanni Boccaccio nel suo Decamerone, fu come si sa carissimo compagno di Bruno e di Calendrino pittori ancor essi faceti e piacevole, e, come si può vedere nell’ […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO HUGUES REBELL “Puella autem moriens dixit: ‘Satanas, trado tibi corpus meum cum anima mea.’” (Quadragesimale opus declamatum Parisiis in ecclesia Sti. Johannis in Gravia per venerabilem patrem Sacrae scripturae interpretem eximium Ol. Maillardum, 1511.)[1] [Footnote 1: “But the dying girl said, ‘Satan, I give over my body to you along with […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO JULES LEMAÎTRE Guido, di Messer Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti, fu un de’ migliori loici che avesse il mondo, et ottimo filosofo naturale…. E perciò che egli alquanto tenea della opinione degli Epicuri, si diceva tra la gente volgare che queste sue speculazioni eran solo in cercare se trovar si potesse che Iddio […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO LOUIS GANDERAX E si compiacque tanto Spinello di farlo orribile e contrafatto, che si dice (tanto può alcuna fiata l’immaginazione) che la detta figura da lui dipinta gli apparve in sogno, domandandolo dove egli l’ avesse veduta si brutta.[1] (Vite de’ piu eccellenti pittori, da Messer Giorgio Vasari.–“Vita di Spinello.”) [Footnote […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) Τὰ γὰρ φυσικὰ, καὶ τὰ ἠθικὰ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μαθηματικὰ, καὶ τοὺς ἐγκυκλίους λόγους, καὶ περὶ τεχνῶν, πᾶσαν εἶχεν ἐμπειρίαν.–Diogenes Laërtius, IX, 37.[1] [Footnote 1: “For of physical and ethical science, no less than of mathematics and the common round of learning, as well as concerning arts, he possessed full knowledge and […]

(Translator: Alfred Allinson) TO ALPHONSE DAUDET Consors paterni luminis, Lux ipse lucis et dies, Noctem canendo rumpimus; Assiste postulantibus. Aufer tenebras mentium; Fuga catervas dæmonum; Expelle somnolentiam, Ne pigritantes obruat.[1] (Breviarium Romanum Third day of the week: at matins.) [Footnote 1: “Partner of the Father’s light, light of light and day of day, we break […]

The Story Of The Duchess Of Cicogne And Of Monsieur De Boulingrin 1920 Author: Anatole France Translator: D. B. Stewart CHAPTER I THE story of the Sleeping Beauty is well known; we have excellent accounts of it, both in prose and in verse. I shall not undertake to relate-it again; but, having become acquainted with […]

The Miracle Of The Great St. Nicolas 1920 Author: Anatole France Translator: D. B. Stewart ST. NICOLAS, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, lived in the time of Constantine the Great. The most ancient and weighty of those authors who have mentioned him celebrate his virtues, his labours, and his worth: they give abundant proofs of […]

Putois 1907 By Anatole France Translated by William Patten. Dedicated to Georges Brandes I This garden of our childhood, said Monsieur Bergeret, this garden that one could pace off in twenty steps, was for us a whole world, full of smiles and surprises. “Lucien, do you recall Putois?” asked Zoe, smiling as usual, the lips […]

Child Life In Town And Country 1909 Author: Anatole France Translator: Alfred Allinson FANCHON I FANCHON went early one morning, like Little Red Riding-Hood, to see her grandmother, who lives right at the other end of the village. But Fanchon did not stop like little Red Riding-Hood, to gather nuts in the wood. She went […]

Marguerite 1921 Author: Anatole France Translator: J. Lewis May PREFATORY LETTER Publish Marguerite, dear Monsieur Andre Coq, if you so desire, but pray relieve me from all responsibility in the matter. It would argue too much literary conceit on my part were I anxious to restore it to the light of day. It would argue, […]

Translated by Frederic Chapman L. AELIUS LAMIA, born in Italy of illustrious parents, had not yet discarded the toga proetexta when he set out for the schools of Athens to study philosophy. Subsequently he took up his residence at Rome, and in his house on the Esquiline, amid a circle of youthful wastrels, abandoned himself […]