The three great apostles of practical atheism, that make converts without persecuting, and retain them without preaching, are wealth, health and power.

Forgiveness, that noblest of all self-denial, is a virtue which he alone who can practise in himself can willingly believe in another.

It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.

That politeness which we put on, in order to keep the assuming and the presumptuous at a proper distance will generally succeed. But it sometimes happens that these obtrusive characters are on such excellent terms with themselves that they put down this very politeness to the score of their own great merits and high pretensions, meeting the coldness of our reserve with a ridiculous condescension of familiarity, in order to set us at ease with ourselves.

Those who have finished by making all others think with them, have usually been those who began by daring to think with themselves.

Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice.

Of all the marvelous works of God, perhaps the one angels view with the most supreme astonishment, is a proud man.