It is high time for me to depart, for at my age I now begin to see things as they really are.

As astronomy is the daughter of idleness, geometry is the daughter of property.

I detest war; it ruins conversation

A true philosopher is like an elephant; he never puts the second foot down until the first one is solidly in place.

People almost always do great things without knowing how to do them, and are quite surprised to have done them.

It is the passions that do and undo everything.

Nature is never so admired as when she is understood.