Margaritas ante porcos
The Hunchback of Notre Dame“Margaritas ante porcos” is the Latin expression for “pearls before swine,” used in the scene as both a proverb and the starting point for a courtly insult. The Abbé of Saint Geneviéve applies it to the cardinal’s courtesies toward the Flemish delegation; Cardinal Charles de Bourbon then twists its word order into a joke at their expense.
Meaning and Use
The abbé’s phrase, “Margaritas ante porcos, pearls before swine,” means that something precious is being offered to those unworthy of it. In context, it rebukes the cardinal for wasting politeness on the Flemish visitors. The saying is not presented as detached commentary: it sharpens the abbé’s contempt into a compact image of pearls and swine.
The Cardinal’s Retort
Charles de Bourbon answers, “Porcos ante Margaritam, swine before the pearl.” By putting the swine first and changing the phrase’s form, he makes a new barb rather than merely repeating the abbé’s proverb. The alteration also echoes the cardinal’s preceding aside about the ambassadors sent to announce Margaret of Austria, making the Latin wordplay part of his mockery of the delegation.
Effect in the Scene
The cassocked members of the cardinal’s court delight in the play on words, and the narration notes that the cardinal is relieved: his jest, like Jacques Coppenole’s earlier popularity with the crowd, has won applause. The expression thus marks a small contest in verbal wit, in which the cardinal answers the abbé’s insult and recovers some standing before his own circle.
