Combeferre Quotes

“At the side of Enjolras, who represented the logic of revolution, was Combeferre, representing its philosophy. The difference between logic and philosophy is that one can decide upon war, whereas the other can only be fulfilled by peace.”
― Victor Hugo

“Let us be just, my friends! What a splendid destiny for a nation to be the Empire of such an Emperor, when that nation is France and when it adds its own genius to the genius of that man! To appear and to reign, to march and to triumph, to have for halting-places all capitals, to take his grenadiers and to make kings of them, to decree the falls of dynasties, and to transfigure Europe at the pace of a charge; to make you feel that when you threaten you lay your hand on the hilt of the sword of God; to follow in a single man, Hannibal, Caesar, Charlemagne; to be the people of some one who mingles with your dawns the startling announcement of a battle won, to have the cannon of the Invalides to rouse you in the morning, to hurl into abysses of light prodigious words which flame forever, Marengo, Arcola, Austerlitz, Jena, Wagram! To cause constellations of victories to flash forth at each instant from the zenith of the centuries, to make the French Empire a pendant to the Roman Empire, to be the great nation and to give birth to the grand army, to make its legions fly forth over all the earth, as a mountain sends out its eagles on all sides to conquer, to dominate, to strike with lightning, to be in Europe a sort of nation gilded through glory, to sound athwart the centuries a trumpet-blast of Titans, to conquer the world twice, by conquest and by dazzling, that is sublime; and what greater thing is there?"

"To be free," said Combeferre.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

“Come on. We must have a little pity. Do you know what we're talking about now?...When a man supports his relatives by his labor, he has no right to sacrifice himself. That is deserting his family...My friends, there is a tomorrow; you won't be here on that tomorrow, but your families will...We must not be selfish." (on page 1183 of 1480)”
― Combeferre Les Misérables

“Bewigged tragedy has a reason for its existence.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

“Nature contains its abortions, and its self-parodies. Take a break that isn't a break, wings that aren't wings, fins that aren't fins, paws that aren't paws, agonized squawks that make you want to laugh, and you have a duck. But if domestic poultry can exist side by side with real birds I see no reason why our "classic" tragedy should not exist side by side with the antique.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

“Nature contains its abortions, and its self-parodies. Take a beak that isn't a beak, wings that aren't wings, fins that aren't fins, paws that aren't paws, agonized squawks that make you want to laugh, and you have a duck. But if domestic poultry can exist side by side with real birds I see no reason why our "classic" tragedy should not exist side by side with the antique.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables