If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours.

It is the briefest yet wisest maxim which tells us to meddle not.

Pure truth, like pure gold, has been found unfit for circulation because men have discovered that it is far more convenient to adulterate the truth than to refine themselves.

Taking things not as they ought to be, but as they are, I fear it must be allowed that Macchiavelli will always have more disciples than Jesus.

Unlike the sun, intellectual luminaries shine brightest after they set.

The truly great consider, first, how they may gain the approbation of God, and, secondly, that of their own conscience. Having done this, they would then willingly conciliate the good opinion of their fellow-men. But the truly little reverse the thing. The primary object with them is to secure the applause of their fellow-men; and having effected this, the approbation of God and their own conscience may follow on as they can.

It is an easy and vulgar thing to please the mob, and no very arduous task to astonish them.