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The Counterfeiters · Chapter
Endnotes explained
This chapter contains the endnotes for the novel, providing translations, explanations of puns, and references to French cultural and literary sources such as La Rochefoucauld.
What happens
This chapter contains the endnotes for the novel, providing translations, explanations of puns, and references to French cultural and literary sources such as La Rochefoucauld.
Key passages
“De toutes les passions, celle qui est la plus inconnue à nous-mêmes, c’est la paresse; elle est la plus ardente et la plus maligne de toutes, quoique sa violence soit insensible et que les dommages qu’elle cause soient très-cachés.”
Of all passions, laziness is the most unknown to ourselves; it is the most ardent and malicious, though its violence is imperceptible and the damage it causes is very hidden.
This is a quotation from La Rochefoucauld's maxims, reflecting on the hidden nature of laziness.