Affairs that depend on many rarely succeed.

To give vent now and then to his feelings, whether of pleasure or discontent, is a great ease to a man's heart.

Let no one trust so entirely to natural prudence as to persuade himself that it will suffice to guide him without help from experience.

Like other men, I have sought honours and preferment, and often have obtained them beyond my wishes or hopes. Yet never have I found in them that content which I had figured beforehand in my mind. A strong reason, if we well consider it, why we should disencumber ourselves of vain desires.

Pay no heed to those who tell you that they have relinquished place and power of their own accord, and from their love of quiet. For almost always they have been brought to this retirement by their insufficiency and against their will.

The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident.

Even though many people prove to be ungrateful, do not let that stop you from benefiting others-for not only is beneficence in itself a noble and almost divine quality, it may also happen that while you practice it, you will encounter someone so grateful that he will make up for all the others' ingratitude.