I had friends. The idea of being forever separated from them and from all their troubles is one of the greatest sorrows that I suffer in dying. Let them at least know that to my latest moment I thought of them.
Interpretation
The quote expresses deep sorrow over the thought of leaving friends behind in death.
In this quote, Marie Antoinette reflects on the profound emotional connection she has with her friends and the pain associated with the idea of leaving them due to her impending death. She conveys that the bonds of friendship are so significant that the mere thought of being separated from them brings her great sorrow, emphasizing the importance of these relationships in her life.
In practice
During a heartfelt speech at a memorial, one might reflect on the enduring bonds of friendship using this quote.
Qu'ils mangent de la brioche. Let them eat cake. On being told that her people had no bread. Attributed to Marie-Antoinette, but remark is much older. Rousseau refers in his Confessions, 1740, to a similar remark, as a well-known saying. Others attribute the remark to the wife of Louis XIV.
I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long.
No one understands my ills, nor the terror that fills my breast, who does not know the heart of a mother.
I trust we shall never be reduced to the painful extremity of seeking the aid of Mirabeau.
When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun.'
But sometimes it's like you just meet someone and you just know that you're totally connected, and this person is, like, your brother - or your sister. Even if they don't, like, recognize it, you feel it. And in a lot of ways it don't matter if they do or they don't see that for what it is - all you can do is put the feeling out there. That's your duty. Then you just wait and see what comes back to you. That's the deal.
If you are a friend, why do you bite me so hard? If an enemy, why do you fawn on me?
Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he'll go
Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart.
I never enjoyed my work more than when I worked with William Powell. He was a brilliant actor, a delightful companion, a great friend and, above all, a true gentleman.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.