I know you are fond of culture and traditions. I brought out a universal and cosmopolitan tool wrapped in yellowed paper dedicated to obsolete expressions.
I put on a long black dress, tied a pleated white scarf around my neck and you watched me plead for the rehabilitation of the compliment:
“Let the lauders gallants keep their nonsense, our society is overflowing with vile courtiers and courtesans who resort to this term to abuse others. What a pity that this caress of the mind is abandoned and diverted by its two enemies: hypocrisy and flattery. Smart men and women will not be fooled by the scheme of these perverse mermaids.
In France, we often forget its origin in the 17th: the outdated practice of reading this little speech addressed to a person, on the occasion of a party or birthday, has barely survived.
If the compliment were used daily, it would enhance the flavor of life. Spice of passion, it would give the sensation of fire that one tries to stifle then of embers that one stirs up again. But it is becoming very rare and even more and more rare. This is unfortunate because gallantry, one of its peers looks gray in our society where the civilities of the code of conduct seem to have been dethroned by the priority passage. “
Trust me, it hasn’t aged a bit and I campaign for its international rehabilitation.
In this plea, I tried to dust off the compliment by praising its spontaneity, its distinction without forgetting its sincerity, its poetry, even its phantasmagoria.
I am very lucky. I like your unexpected way of complimenting me with your look, your smile and your exquisite words. Your compliment makes your idol’s life more beautiful. Sensitive to its power of seduction, I will consume it without moderation to bring your confidence to the highest!
To be continued …