Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

Laws, in their most general signification, are the necessary relations arising from the nature of things. In this sense all beings have their laws: the Deity His laws, the material world its laws, the intelligences superior to man their laws, the beasts their laws, man his laws.

There are countries where a man is worth nothing; there are others where he is worth less than nothing.

The laws do not take upon them to punish any other than overt acts.

Although born in a prosperous realm, we did not believe that its boundaries should limit our knowledge, and that the lore of the East should alone enlighten us.

I have ever held it as a maxim never to do that through another which it was impossible for me to execute myself

The life of man is but a succession of vain hopes and groundless fears.