Jacques de La Palice
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Jacques de la Palice (or la Palisse) (1470 – 24 February 1525) was a French nobleman and military officer. His full name and titles are Jacques II de Chabannes, Lord of La Palice, of Pacy, of Chauverothe, of Bort-le-Comte and of Héron. In 1511, he received the title of Grand Master of France.
As a Marshal under Francis I, he fought against Italian armies, and died during the battle of Pavia.
Lapalissade
His epitaph reads
- Ci gît Monsieur de La Palice: Si il' n'était pas mort, il ferait encore envie.
- ("Here lies Sir de la Palice: If he wasn't dead, he would still be envied.")
These words were misread (accidentally or intentionally) as "...il serait encore en vie" ("...he would still be alive"). In the 16th century this misreading was incorporated into a popular satirical song, and in time many other variants developed, like
- ... que deux jours avant sa mort / il était encore en vie.
- ("... that two days before his death / he was still quite alive".)
- ... et quand il était tout nu, / il n'avait point de chemise.
- ("... and when he was stark naked, / he didn't wear a shirt").
In the early 18th century Bernard de la Monnoye collected over 50 of these humorous "la Palice" quatrains, and published them as a burlesque Song of la Palice. From that song came the French term lapalissade meaning an utterly obvious truth—i.e. a truism or tautology.
