<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<!--  do not duplicate title bloginfo_rss('name'); wp_title_rss(); -->
<channel>

	<title>WIST Quotations</title>
	<atom:link href="https://wist.info/topic/retelling/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://wist.info</link>
	<description>Wish I&#039;d Said That!</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 16:11:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator>
	<language></language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/little-w-little-box-60x60.jpg</url>
	<title>retelling &#8211; WIST Quotations</title>
	<link>https://wist.info</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com"/>
<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://pubsubhubbub.superfeedr.com"/>
<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://websubhub.com/hub"/>
<atom:link rel="self" href="https://wist.info/topic/retelling/feed/"/>
<site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">43606282</site>		<item>

                <!-- DCH Modify the title to give the category (quote author) at the beginning of it. -->
		<title>Montaigne, Michel de -- Essays, Book 1, ch.  9 (1.9), &#8220;Of Liars [Des Menteurs]&#8221; (1572) [tr. Cohen (1958)]</title>
		<link>https://wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/81567/</link>
		<comments>https://wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/81567/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:44:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Montaigne, Michel de]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anecdote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[old age]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[repeating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[repetition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retelling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[story]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://wist.info/?p=81567</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Particularly dangerous are old men who retain the memory of past events, but do not remember how often they have repeated them. I have known some very amusing tales to become most tiresome when told by some gentlemen whose whole audience has been sated with them a hundred times. [Sur tout les vieillards sont dangereux, [&#8230;]]]></description>
        <!-- DCH Insert author info (category description) then (Source) and then put the extra info (MORE) below that. -->
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Particularly dangerous are old men who retain the memory of past events, but do not remember how often they have repeated them. I have known some very amusing tales to become most tiresome when told by some gentlemen whose whole audience has been sated with them a hundred times.</p>
<p><em>[Sur tout les vieillards sont dangereux, à qui la souvenance des choses passees demeure, et ont perdu la souvenance de leurs redites. J’ay veu des recits bien plaisants, devenir tres-ennuyeux, en la bouche d’un Seigneur, chascun de l’assistance en ayant esté abbreuvé cent fois.]</em></p>
<br><b>Michel de Montaigne</b> (1533-1592) French essayist<br><i>Essays</i>, Book 1, ch.  9 (1.9), &#8220;Of Liars <i>[Des Menteurs]</i>&#8221; (1572) [tr. Cohen (1958)] 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Essays/d8FcAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22particularly%20dangerous%20are%22" target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

This essay was included in the 1st (1580) edition, and expanded in 1588 and 1595.  This particular passage was added for the 1595 edition.<br><br>

(<a href="https://hyperessays.net/gournay/book/I/chapter/9/#:~:text=Sur%20tout%20les%20vieillards%20sont%20dangereux%2C%20%C3%A0%20qui%20la%20souvenance%20des%20choses%20passees%20demeure%2C%20et%20ont%20perdu%20la%20souvenance%20de%20leurs%20redites.%20J%E2%80%99ay%20veu%20des%20recits%20bien%20plaisants%2C%20devenir%20tres%2Dennuyeux%2C%20en%20la%20bouche%20d%E2%80%99un%20Seigneur%2C%20chascun%20de%20l%E2%80%99assistance%20en%20ayant%20est%C3%A9%20abbreuv%C3%A9%20cent%20fois.">Source (French)</a>). Alternate translations:<br><br>

<blockquote>Above all, old men are dangerous, who have onelie the memorie of things past left them, and have lost the remembrance of their repetitions. I have heard some very pleasant reports become most irkesome and tedious in the mouth of a certaine Lord, forsomuch as all the by-standers had manie times beene cloyed with them.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://hyperessays.net/florio/book/I/chapter/9/#:~:text=Above%20all%2C%20old,cloyed%20with%20them.">Florio</a> (1603)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But above all, old Men, who yet retain the Memory of things past, and forget how often they have told them, are most dangerous Company for this fault; and I have known Stories from the Mouth of a Man of very great Quality, otherwise very pleasant in themselves, become very troublesome, by being a hundred times repeated over and over again.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://hyperessays.net/cotton/book/I/chapter/9/#:~:text=But%20above%20all,and%20over%20again.">Cotton</a> (1686)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But, above all, old men who retain the memory of things past, and forget how often they have told them, are dangerous company; and I have known stories from the mouth of a man of very great quality, otherwise very pleasant in themselves, become very wearisome by being repeated a hundred times over and over again to the same people.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Essays_of_Montaigne/Book_I/Chapter_IX#:~:text=But%2C%20above%20all,the%20same%20people.">Cotton/Hazlitt</a> (1877)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Above all, old men are in danger, who retain remembrance of past things and have lost remembrance of their twice-told stories I have known some really amusing tales to become very tiresome in the mouth of a man of the world, every one present having heard them poured out a hundred times.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Book_I/Myt1MG8XBqYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22above%20all,%20old%22">Ives</a> (1925)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Old men especially are dangerous, whose memory of things past remains, but who have lost the memory of their repetitions. I have seen some very amusing stories become very boring in the mouth of one nobleman, everyone present having been sated with them a hundred times. <br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/completeworksofm0000mont/page/22/mode/2up?q=%22old+men+especially+are%22">Frame</a> (1943)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Old men are particularly vulnerable: they remember the past but forget that they have just told you! I have known several amusing tales become boring in one gentleman’s mouth: his own people have had their fill of it a hundred times already.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/the-complete-essays-montaigne-michel-de-1533-1592/page/n89/mode/2up?q=%22old+men+are+particularly%22">Screech</a> (1987)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>The most dangerous are the elderly who have kept their recollections of the past but have lost track of their sharing them. I know of pleasant tales told by a certain gentleman that turned quite boring after each member of his audience had been regaled with it a hundred times.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://hyperessays.net/essays/on-liars/#:~:text=The%20most%20dangerous%20are%20the%20elderly%20who%20have%20kept%20their%20recollections%20of%20the%20past%20but%20have%20lost%20track%20of%20their%20sharing%20them.%20I%20know%20of%20pleasant%20tales%20told%20by%20a%20certain%20gentleman%20that%20turned%20quite%20boring%20after%20each%20member%20of%20his%20audience%20had%20been%20regaled%20with%20it%20a%20hundred%20times.">HyperEssays</a> (2025)] </blockquote><br>						</span>
					]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/81567/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">81567</post-id>	</item>
		<item>

                <!-- DCH Modify the title to give the category (quote author) at the beginning of it. -->
		<title>Virgil -- The Aeneid [Ænē̆is], Book  2, l. 204 (2.204) [Aeneas] (29-19 BC) [tr. Fairclough (1916)]</title>
		<link>https://wist.info/virgil/20553/</link>
		<comments>https://wist.info/virgil/20553/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:22:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Virgil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horror]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recollection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retelling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shudder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trauma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trembling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wist.info/?p=20553</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I shudder as I tell the tale. [Horresco réferens] Telling Dido of the terrible deaths of the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons. (Source (Latin)). Alternate translations: I shake to mention. [tr. Ogilby (1649)] I shudder at the relation. [tr. Davidson/Buckley (1854)] I quail, E&#8217;en now, at telling of the tale [tr. Conington (1866)] I [&#8230;]]]></description>
        <!-- DCH Insert author info (category description) then (Source) and then put the extra info (MORE) below that. -->
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I shudder as I tell the tale.</p>
<p><em>[Horresco réferens]</em></p>
<p><a href="https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Laocoon-and-his-sons.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Laocoon-and-his-sons.jpg" alt="Laocoön and his sons" title="Laocoön and his sons" width="800" height="851" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60560" srcset="https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Laocoon-and-his-sons.jpg 800w, https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Laocoon-and-his-sons-282x300.jpg 282w, https://wist.info/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Laocoon-and-his-sons-768x817.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<br><b>Virgil</b> (70-19 BC) Roman poet [b. Publius Vergilius Maro; also Vergil]<br><i>The Aeneid [Ænē̆is]</i>, Book  2, l. 204 (2.204) [Aeneas] (29-19 BC) [tr. Fairclough (1916)] 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://archive.org/details/L063NVirgilIEcloguesGeorgicsAeneid16/page/n319/mode/2up?q=%22+I+shudder+as+I+tell+the+tale%22" target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

Telling Dido of the terrible deaths of the Trojan priest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n">Laocoön and his sons</a>.<br><br>

(<a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0055%3Abook%3D2%3Acard%3D195#:~:text=tranquilla%20per%20alta%E2%80%94-,horresco%20referens,-%E2%80%94immensis%20orbibus%20angues">Source (Latin)</a>). Alternate translations:<br><br>



<blockquote>I shake to mention.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A65106.0001.001/1:6.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext#:~:text=(-,I%20shake%20to%20mention,-)%20through%20calme%20Seas">Ogilby</a> (1649)]</blockquote><br>




<blockquote>I shudder at the relation.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Works_of_Virgil/GuFCAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22shudder%20at%20the%20relation%22">Davidson/Buckley</a> (1854)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I quail,<br>
E'en now, at telling of the tale<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Aeneid_(Conington_1866)/Book_2#:~:text=I%20quail%2C%0AE%27en%20now%2C%20at%20telling%20of%20the%20tale">Conington</a> (1866)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder as I tell.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/aeneidvirgiltra00crangoog/page/n71/mode/2up?q=%22i+shudder+as+I+tell%22">Cranch</a> (1872)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder as I recall.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/22456/pg22456-images.html#:~:text=I%20shudder%20as%20I%20recall">Mackail</a> (1885)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I tremble in the tale.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/29358/pg29358-images.html#BOOK_II:~:text=I%20tremble%20in%20the%20tale">Morris</a> (1900)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>The tale I shudder to pursue<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18466/pg18466-images.html#book2line127:~:text=the%20tale%20I%20shudder%20to%20pursue">Taylor</a> <br>(1907)]</blockquote>

<blockquote>I shudder as I tell.<br>
[tr. <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0054%3Abook%3D2%3Acard%3D195#:~:text=appeared%20a%20pair%20(-,I%20shudder%20as%20I%20tell,-)%0Aof%20vastly">Williams</a> (1910)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder even now,<br>
Recalling it.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/61596/pg61596-images.html#:~:text=I%20shudder%20even,Recalling%20it">Humphries</a> (1951)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Telling it makes me shudder.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/aenei00virg/page/40/mode/2up?q=%22it+makes+me+shudder%22">Day-Lewis</a> (1952)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder<br>
to tell what happened.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/aeneidofvirgil100virg/page/36/mode/2up?q=%22i+shudder%22">Mandelbaum</a> (1971)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shiver to recall it.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/aeneid00virg/page/40/mode/2up?q=%22I+shiver+to+recall+it%22">Fitzgerald</a> (1981)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder at the memory of it.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/aeneidvirg00virg/page/36/mode/2up?q=%22i+shudder%22">West</a> (1990)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder to tell it.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/VirgilAeneidII.php#anchor_Toc536009312:~:text=I%20shudder%20to%20tell%20it">Kline</a> (2002)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder to recall them.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Essential_Aeneid/y8pgDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=%22shudder%20to%20recall%22">Lombardo</a> (2005)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I cringe to recall it now.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Aeneid/okrFGPoJb6cC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22i%20cringe%22">Fagles</a> (2006)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>I shudder at the telling.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Aeneid/FioVEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=%22i%20shudder%20at%20the%20telling%22">Bartsch</a> (2021)]</blockquote><br>
						</span>
					]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://wist.info/virgil/20553/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">20553</post-id>	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
