A prince who loves and fears religion is a lion who stoops to the hand that strokes or to the voice that appeases him. He who fears and hates religion is like the savage beast that growls and bites the chain, which prevents his flying on the passenger. He who has no religion at all is that terrible animal who perceives his liberty only when he tears in pieces, and when he devours.

The crime against nature will never make any great progress in society unless people are prompted to it by some particular custom.

The state of slavery is in its own nature bad.

When virtue is banished, ambition invades the minds of those who are disposed to receive it and avarice possesses the whole community.

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.

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

There is a very good saying that if triangles invented a god, they would make him three-sided.