I never listen to calumnies, because if they are untrue I run the risk of being deceived, and if they be true, of hating persons not worth thinking about.
Baron de MontesquieuVanity and pride of nations; vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous.
Baron de MontesquieuTalent is a gift which God has given us secretly, and which we reveal without perceiving it.
Baron de Montesquieu