Republics end through luxury; monarchies through poverty.

If you would be holy, instruct your children, because all the good acts they perform will be imputed to you.

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it; he goes on till he is pulled up by some limits. Who would say it! virtue even has need of limits.

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

It is always the adventurous who accomplish great things.

They who assert that a blind fatality produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality could be productive of intelligent beings.

The alms given to a naked man in the street do not fulfil the obligations of the state, which owes to every citizen a certain subsistence, a proper nourishment, convenient clothing, and a kind of life not incompatible with health.