The Devil's Dictionary: Saint

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff
by Ambrose Bierce
SAFETY-CLUTCH
SALACITY

SAINT

-n.

A dead sinner revised and edited.

The Duchess of Orleans relates that the irreverent old calumniator, Marshal Villeroi, who in his youth had known St. Francis de Sales, said, on hearing him called saint: "I am delighted to hear that Monsieur de Sales is a saint. He was fond of saying indelicate things, and used to cheat at cards. In other respects he was a perfect gentleman, though a fool."

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