He who wishes to revenge injuries by reciprocal hatred will live in misery. But he who endeavors to drive away hatred by means of love, fights with pleasure and confidence; he resists equally one or many men, and scarcely needs at all the help of fortune. Those whom he conquers yield joyfully

. . . to know the order of nature, and regard the universe as orderly is the highest function of the mind.

How would it be possible if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labor be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.

It is usually the case with most men that their nature is so constituted that they pity those who fare badly and envy those who fare well.

If a man had begun to hate an object of his love, so that love is thoroughly destroyed, he will, causes being equal, regard it with more hatred than if he had never loved it, and his hatred will be in proportion to the strength of his former love.

Only that thing is free which exists by the necessities of its own nature, and is determined in its actions by itself alone.

He who has a true idea, knows at that same time that he has a true idea, nor can he doubt concerning the truth of the thing.