One must know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life and there is nothing better.

By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom; by thought I comprehend the world.

Those whom we call ancient were really new in all things, and properly constituted the infancy of mankind.

Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true.

It is not permitted to the most equitable of men to be a judge in his own cause.

Men seek rest in a struggle against difficulties; and when they have conquered these, rest becomes insufferable.

Those who write against vanity want the glory of having written well, and their readers the glory of reading well, and I who write this have the same desire, as perhaps those who read this have also.