Men in general desire the good and not merely what their fathers had.

In all well-attempered governments there is nothing which should be more jealously maintained than the spirit of obedience to law, more especially in small matters; for transgression creeps in unperceived and at last ruins the state, just as the constant recurrence of small expenses in time eats up a fortune.

The secret to humor is surprise.

Happiness is essentially perfect; so that the happy man requires in addition the goods of the body, external goods and the gifts of fortune, in order that his activity may not be impeded through lack of them.

All men desire by nature to know.

Here and elsewhere we shall not obtain the best insight into things until we actually see them growing from the beginning.

In everything, it is no easy task to find the middle.