[Ads-l] Every fool is not a poet =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=93_?=French translation request

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Wed Nov 2 19:55:38 UTC 2016


References such as the "Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations" and
"The Yale Book of Quotations" list the following poem under Alexander
Pope's name:

[Begin excerpt]
Sir, I admit your gen’ral rule
That every poet is a fool:
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.
‘"Epigram from the French" (1732)
[End excerpt]

Here is an earlier instance in French ascribed to "Theophile". Perhaps
the referent was Théophile de Viau who died much earlier in 1626.

[ref] 1715, Le Passe-Tems Agreable, ou Noveaux Choix de Bons-Mots, de
Pensees Ingenieuses, de Rencontres Plaisantes, Third Edition, Quote
Page 267, Jean Hofhout, Rotterdam. (Google Books Full View) link
[/ref]

https://books.google.com/books?id=4Q8QsYJ9_oAC&q=%22fous+ne%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
On rapporte du Poête Theophile,
qu étant allé chez un grand Seigneur, il y avoit
un homme qu'on disoit fou, & par conséquent
Poête, & que Théophile fit cèt inpromptu.

J'Avoûera avec vous
Que tous les Poëtes sont fous;
Mais sachant ce que vous êtes,
Tous les fous ne sont pas Poëtes.
[End excerpt]

If you wish to be helpful please share a translation of the passage
above. I am particularly interested in the introductory words. Follow
the link to see the original page image. The spelling is odd.

Thanks, Garson

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