“Unhappy he who fears the deep
Recesses of his soul to scan!
The heart that from itself would hide
Fears an unfriendly critic's ban.”

— François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis

Malheureux qui craint de rentrer
Dans la retraite de son âme!
Le coeur qui cherche a s'ignorer
Redoute un censeur qui le blâme.
Les Quatre saisons, ou les Géorgiques françoises, poëme (1763), Chant IV.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 154.

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François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis4

Catholic cardinal 1715–1794

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