Page "Le Figaro" Paragraph 4

The paper was founded as a satirical weekly in 1826, taking its name and motto from Le Mariage de Figaro, a play by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais that poked fun at privilege.

Its motto, from Figaro's monologue in the play's final act, is " Sans la liberté de blâmer, il n ' est point d ' éloge flatteur " (" Without the freedom to criticise, there is no true praise ").

It was published somewhat irregularly until 1854, when it was taken over by Hippolyte de Villemessant.