Alphonse de Lamartine (1790 – 1869)
French writer, poet, and politician.
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Sometimes, only one person is missing, and the whole world seems depopulated.
Limited in his nature, infinite in his desires, man is a fallen god who remembers the heavens.
?If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire — that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?
Experience is the only prophesy of wise men.
The more I see of the representatives of the people, the more I admire my dogs.
Love alone was left, as a great image of a dream that was erased.
O time, arrest your flight! and you, propitious hours, arrest your course! Let us savor the fleeting delights of our most beautiful days!
What is our life but a succession of preludes to that unknown song whose first solemn note is sounded by death?
I say to this night: "Pass more slowly"; and the dawn will come to dispel the night.
To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic.
Let us love the passing hour, let us hurry up and enjoy our time.
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