If I knew of something that could serve my nation but would ruin another, I would not propose it to my prince, for I am first a man and only then a Frenchman... because I am necessarily a man, and only accidentally am I French.

Certain kinds of foolishness are such that a greater foolishness would be better.

There is hardly any grief that an hour's reading will not dissipate.

What orators lack in depth they make up for in length.

Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance... the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason.

We ought to be very cautious and circumspect in the prosecution of magic and heresy. The attempt to put down these two crimes may be extremely perilous to liberty.

Slowness is frequently the cause of much greater slowness.