Facecies et motz subtilz, d'aucuns excellens esprits et tresnobles seigneurs

A modestly bound volume issued under a royal privilege, this early‑modern compilation gathers together polished maxims and gentle witticisms drawn from French and Italian sources. Its compiler, a well‑connected scholar who travelled across Italy, brings together the best of the ancient and contemporary sages—quotes from Scipio, Lelius, Socrates and Augustine—presented as short reflections on the balance of sorrow and joy, the need for occasional retreat, and the tempering effects of measured leisure.

The text reads like a conversational guide for the courtly mind, urging readers to pause amid public duties and refresh the spirit with pleasant recollections. With its elegant language and a sprinkling of classical anecdotes, the work offers a window onto the humanist habit of collecting “faces” and subtle words, inviting listeners to savor the timeless advice of learned gentlemen while glimpsing the literary culture of mid‑sixteenth‑century Lyon.