Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.

The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.

God never wrought miracles to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it.

Velazquez found the perfect balance between the ideal illustration which he was required to produce, and the overwhelming emotion he aroused in the spectator.

Men ought to find the difference between saltiness and bitterness. Certainly, he that hath a satirical vein, as he maketh others afraid of his wit, so he had need be afraid of others' memory.

The breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air than in the hand.

I loathe my own face, and I've done self-portraits because I've had nobody else to do.