Quotes

One of F.W. Sinclair’s most impressive abilities was his talent for profound quotes. The following are some of his more well known musings.

“The line between a fool and a genius is as thin as his margin for error.”

Sinclair said in 1869 this before breaking both of his legs in an attempt to harness steam power for a prototype jetpack.

“The existence of life beyond our world is as certain as my attempts to kill them.”

Sinclair was a vocal believer in the existence of life beyond our planet. Throughout his time, he repeatedly petitioned the French government to take military action against these hypothetical beings. He was unsuccessful in this venture.

“If that rat bastard Christian ever comes to Paris, I swear to God I will string him up by his balls in Château d’If fortress.”

F. W. Sinclair had a long standing feud with King Christian IX of Denmark, who he repeatedly referred to as “a coward masquerading as a man.” Sinclair was not allowed in Denmark during Christian IX’s reign, and in response, made it clear that the monarch was not welcome in France.

“There is nothing Christian has done that could not be accomplished by a moderately clever peacock.”

Sinclair reiterates his distain for King Christian IX. It is unclear how the two men’s feud began, but verbal jabs continued throughout both of their lives.

“I have been called a great many things in my life…handsome, brilliant, suave, witty…what was the question again?”

Sinclair said this in response to Mark Twain referring to him as a “bumbling idiot.”

“Christian IX is strikingly similar to the appendix. Utterly useless until it explodes.”

F. W. Sinclair often referred to King Christian IX as “Europe’s appendix”, even going so far as to hang posters across France that read “remove the appendix” and featured a grotesque caricature of Christian’s likeness.