I used to say of him that his presence on the field made the difference of forty thousand men.

I hate the whole race. There is no believing a word they say, your professional poets, I mean there never existed a more worthless set than Byron and his friends for example.

The French system of conscription brings together a fair sample of all classes; ours is composed of the scum of the earth - the mere scum of the earth. It is only wonderful that we should be able to make so much out of them afterwards.

An extraordinary affair. I gave them their orders and they wanted to stay and discuss them.

A great country cannot wage a little war.

Next to a lost battle, nothing is so sad as a battle that has been won.

It is very true that I have said that I considered Napoleon's presence in the field equal to forty thousand men in the balance. This is a very loose way of talking; but the idea is a very different one from that of his presence at a battle being equal to a reinforcement of forty thousand men.