Picture the prince, such as most of them are today: a man ignorant of the law, well-nigh an enemy to his people's advantage, while intent on his personal convenience, a dedicated voluptuary, a hater of learning, freedom and truth, without a thought for the interests of his country, and measuring everything in terms of his own profit and desires.

The nearer people approach old age the closer they return to a semblance of childhood, until the time comes for them to depart this life, again like children, neither tired of living nor aware of death.

The chief element of happiness is this: to want to be what you are.

By burning Luther's books you may rid your bookshelves of him, but you will not rid men's minds of him.

In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

The more ignorant, reckless and thoughtless a doctor is, the higher his reputation soars even amongst powerful princes.

I consider as lovers of books not those who keep their books hidden in their store-chests and never handle them, but those who, by nightly as well as daily use thumb them, batter them, wear them out, who fill out all the margins with annotations of many kinds, and who prefer the marks of a fault they have erased to a neat copy full of faults.