Honore de Balzac

The Monk Amador was obnoxious to Louis the Eleventh because he was a pilferer, a loiterer, and a bad soldier of the ecclesiastical militia. The lady of Cande reprimanded him for being a Christian...

A Provenal soldier fell into the hands of the Mangrabins and spent the rest of the day cutting down one of the sterile palm trees and falling asleep under the red curtains of his wet cave. The...

Half-way down the Rue Saint-Denis, a venerable structure was crowned by a triangular roof, and a painting represented a cat playing rackets. The young man had his peculiarities, including white...

The Sire Imbert de Bastarnay had no confidence in the female of man, but found Bertha really a maiden and got her with a child two months after marriage. Bastarnay was not a smart young fellow of...

An old man named Tryballot used to beg, but left considerable wealth to his son. But the young lad frittered it away. After thoroughly enjoying himself, Tryballot decided to choose a profession in...

In the good town of Bourges, a provost named Picot or Picault lived there, entrusted by him with the maintenance of order. His wife was a virtuous woman, who had a lover for pleasure and a husband...

King Charles the Eighth hired foreign gentlemen to ornament the castle of Amboise, including an Italian named Angelo Cappara, who would throw himself at her feet and kiss, fondle, caress, bite. One...

Jacques de Beaune was walking along the embankment and nearly ran into a veiled lady whose sweet odour gratified his amorous senses. He flung himself against the wall, crying "I am killed". Jacques...

The Maid of Portillon, who became La Tascherette, was a laundress who wished to be taken to church before burthening herself with a man. A young nobleman gave her the custom of his house. La...

The finest work of man is not poetry, nor painted pictures, nor music, nor castles, nor statues, be they carved never so well, nor rowing, nor sailing galleys, but children. Children are the flower...

The Sicilian knight showed the poor French knight a fine talisman to procure joy, and the Venetian gave him a fine horse, silken hose and a velvet doublet. Pezare pointed out several ladies to whom...

Nature has her freaks in the making of a man's mind, and Government works harmoniously with Society to develop young intelligence. The cashier of one of the largest banks in Paris was still at his...