p. 179. It is there stated to have originated in
some dozen stanzas suggested to la Monnoye ('v. supra', p. 193) by the
extreme artlessness of a military quatrain dating from the battle of
Pavia, and the death upon that occasion of the famous French captain,
Jacques de Chabannes, seigneur de la Palice:--
Monsieur d'La Palice est mort,
Mort devant Pavie;
Un quart d'heure avant sa mort,
'Il etait encore en vie'.
The remaining verses, i.e. in addition to those of la Monnoye, are the
contributions of successive generations. Goldsmith probably had in mind
the version in Part iii of the 'Menagiana', (ed. 1729, iii, 384-391)
where apparently by a typographical error, the hero is called 'le fameux
la Galisse, homme imaginaire.' The verses he imitated most closely are
reproduced below. It may be added that this poem supplied one of its
last inspirations to the pencil of Randolph Caldecott, who published it
as a picture-book in October, 1885. (See also 'An Elegy on the Death of
a Mad Dog', p.
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