An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.

When the savages of Louisiana wish to have fruit, they cut the tree at the bottom and gather the fruit. That is exactly a despotic government.

No tyranny is more cruel than the one practised in the shadow of the laws and under color of justice - when, so to speak, one proceeds to drown the unfortunate on the very plank by which they had saved themselves. And since a tyrant never lacks instruments for his tyranny, Tiberius always found judges ready to condemn as many people as he might suspect.

As soon as man enters into a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases, and then commences the state of war.

When we seek after wit, we discover only foolishness.

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.

Political liberty in a citizen is that tranquillity of spirit which comes from the opinion each one has of his security, and in order for him to have this liberty the government must be such that one citizen cannot fear another citizen.