Francois Fenelon Quotes

France, Bishop
August 6, 1651 – January, 7, 1715.

François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (/ˌfeɪnəˈlɒ̃/; French: [də la mɔt fenəlɔ̃]), more commonly known as François Fénelon (6 August 1651 – 7 January 1715), was a French Roman Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer. He today is remembered mostly as the author of The Adventures of Telemachus, first published in 1699.

Also known as Theologian, Poet, Writer

Children are excellent observers, and will often perceive your slightest defects. In general, those who govern children, forgive nothing in them, but everything in themselves.

Francois Fenelon
- Children
Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.

Francois Fenelon
- Good
- Words
- Thoughts

There is a set of religious, or rather moral, writings which teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery in this world. A very wholesome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that it is not true.

Francois Fenelon
- World
- True
- Religious
Had we not faults of our own, we should take less pleasure in complaining of others.

Francois Fenelon
- Complaining
All earthly delights are sweeter in expectation than in enjoyment; but all spiritual pleasures more in fruition than in expectation.

Francois Fenelon
- Spiritual
- Expectation
Do not make best friends with a melancholy sad soul. They always are heavily loaded, and you must bear half.

Francois Fenelon
- Friends
- Soul
- Sad
Nothing is more despicable than a professional talker who uses his words as a quack uses his remedies.

Francois Fenelon
- Words
- Professional
Little opportunities should be improved.

Francois Fenelon

A good historian is timeless; although he is a patriot, he will never flatter his country in any respect.

Francois Fenelon
- Good
- Country
- Respect
If we were faultless we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate.

Francois Fenelon
- Annoyed
Exactness and neatness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind.

Francois Fenelon
- Mind
All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

Francois Fenelon
- Men