The philosophy of La Rochefoucauld, which influenced French intellectuals as diverse as Voltaire and the Jansenists, is captured here in more than 600 penetrating and pithy aphorisms.

Reflections or Sentences and Moral Maxims By Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marsillac. NEW Complete Edition A Complete World Classic Translated from the Editions of 1678 and 1827 with introduction, notes, and some account of the author and his times by J. W. Willis Bund, M.A. LL.B and J. Hain Friswell "As Rochefoucauld his maxims drew From Nature--I believe them true. They argue no corrupted mind In him; the fault is in mankind."--Swift. "Les Maximes de la Rochefoucauld sont des proverbs des gens d'esprit."--Montesquieu. "Maxims are the condensed good sense of nations."--Sir J. Mackintosh. "Translators should not work alone; for good Et Propria Verba do not always occur to one mind."--Luther's Table Talk, iii.

This is the fullest collection of La Rochefoucauld's writings ever published in English, and includes the first complete translation of the Miscellaneous Reflections. A table of alternative maxim numbers and an index of topics help the reader to locate any maxim quickly.

"[...]stood at the font as sponsor, giving his name to that last light of French chivalry, Francis I. In 1515 he was created a baron, and was afterwards advanced to a count, on account of his great service to Francis and his predecessors. The second count pushed the family fortune still further by obtaining a patent as the Prince de Marsillac. His widow, Anne de Polignac, entertained Charles V. at the family chateau at Verteuil, in so princely a manner that on leaving Charles observed, "He had never entered a house so redolent of high virtue, uprightness, and lordliness as that mansion." [...]."

Of all the French epigrammatic writers La Rochefou- cauld is at once the most widely known, and the most distinguished. Voltaire, whose opinion on the cen- tury of Louis XIV. is entitled to the greatest weight, says, “One of the works that most largely contributed to form the taste of the nation, and to diffuse a spirit of justice and precision, is the collection of maxims, by Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld.”This Francois, the second Duc de la Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marsillac, the author of the maxims, was one of the most illustrious members of the most illus- trious families among the French noblesse.

They argue no corrupted mind In him; the fault is in mankind."--Swift."Les Maximes de la Rochefoucauld sont des proverbs des gens d'esprit."--Montesquieu."Maxims are the condensed good sense of nations."--Sir J. Mackintosh."Translators should not work alone; for good Et Propria Verba do not always occur to one mind."--Luther's Table Talk, iii.

Of all the French epigrammatic writers, La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) is at once the most widely known and the most distinguished. Voltaire said: "One of the works that most largely contributed to form the taste of the [French] nation, and to diffuse a spirit of justice and precision, is the collection of maxims by François, duc de La Rochefoucauld; though there is scarcely more than one truth running through the book-that 'self-love is the motive of everything'-yet, this thought is presented under so many varied aspects that it is nearly always striking." And Lord Chesterfield, in his letters to his son: "Till you come to know mankind by your own experience, I know no thing nor no man that can in the meantime bring you so well acquainted with them as La Rochefoucauld: his little book of Maxims, which I would advise you to look into, for some moments at least, every day of your life, is, I fear, too like and too exact a picture of human nature. I own it seems to degrade it, but yet my experience does not convince me that it degrades it unjustly." The Maxims were first published in 1665, under the title "Reflections or sentences and moral maxims"; and the edition of 1678, the fifth, from which the text has been used for the present translation, was the last revised by the author and published in his lifetime (with maxims numbered 1 to 504). Maxims which appeared in previous editions and were suppressed by La Rochefoucauld can be found in the second part, entitled "Maxims withdrawn by the author", here numbered 505 to 583. The French original of this bilingual edition was reviewed by Philippe Renaud. The English translation, originally by John William Willis-Bund and James Hain Friswell, has been thoroughly revised by Rebecca Hazell and Philippe Renaud.