The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and ModernBoyer, Abel
General
The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and Modern
Boyer, Abel
Anecdotes; Wit and humor
_Apelles_ le fameux Peintre, fit le Portrait d’_Alexandre_ le Grand
à Cheval, & le lui presenta, mais comme _Alexandre_ ne loüoit pas
assez un si excellent Ouvrage, _Apelles_ demanda qu’on fit venir un
Cheval en Vie, lequel à la veuë du portrait se mit à trepigner des
Pieds, & à hennir, le prenant pour une realité; surquoy _Apelles_,
lui dit, _que son Cheval s’entendoit mieux en Peinture que lui_.
8
_Virgil_, the famous Poet, was much in favour thro’ his great Wit
and Learning with _Augustus_, insomuch that he daily received his
Bread from him; _Augustus_ one Day knowing his deep Discretion,
ask’d him privately, _If he could guess what was his Father_; to
which he replied, _Truly Sir, I do verily believe he was a Baker_,
_a Baker, and why so?_ says _Augustus_; _because_ says _Virgil_,
_you always reward me with Bread_, which Answer so well pleased the
Emperour, that he rewarded him afterwards with Money.
8
Le fameux Poëte _Virgile_ s’ètoit si bien acquis les bonnes Graces
d’_Auguste_ par son Savoir & par son Esprit, qu’il en recevoit
son Pain ordinaire; _Auguste_ connoissant la profondeur de son
jugement, lui demanda un jour en particulier, _s’il pouvoit deviner
ce qu’ètoit son Pere_? _Seigneur, lui repliqua-t-il, je crois
fermement qu’il ètoit Boulenger_; _Boulenger, & pourquoy cela_, lui
dit _Auguste_; _parce_, dit _Virgile_, _que vous me recompensez
toûjours en Pain_. Cette Réponse plût si fort à l’Empereur, que
dans la suite il le recompensa en Argent,
9
_Alexander_ the Great, having defeated the Army of _Darius_ King
of _Persia_, _Darius_ sued to him for Peace, and proffered him one
half of _Asia_, with ten thousand Talents. _Parmenio_, one of his
Favourites, charm’d with so advantageous a Proposal, _Sir_, said
he to his Master, _I vow were I_ Alexander, _I would gladly accept
these offers_; _and so would I_, answered _Alexander_, _if I was_
Parmenio.
9
_Alexandre_ le Grand ayant remporté la Victoire sur l’Armée de
_Darius_ Roy de _Perse_, celui-ci lui demanda la Paix, & lui offrit
la moitié de l’_Asie_, avec dix mille Talents. _Parmenion_, un de
ses Favoris, charmé d’une Proposition si avantageuse, _Seigneur_,
dit-il à son Maître, _je vous proteste que si j’ètois_ Alexandre,
_j’accepterois ces offres avec joye_; _& moy aussi_, lui répondit
_Alexandre_, _si j’ètois_ Parmenion.
10
The same _Alexander_ being at _Delphos_, dragged the Priestess of
_Apollo_ to the Temple, in order to make her consult the Oracle
upon a forbidden Day: She having resisted him in vain, cried out,
_Alexander thou art invincible_. _I desire no other Oracle but
this_, reply’d he.
10
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account