Next to religion, let your care be to promote justice.
A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint.
It's always hopeless to talk about painting - one never does anything but talk around it.
Philosophers make imaginary laws for imaginary commonwealths, and their discourses are as the stars, which give little light because they are so high.
In nature things move violently to their place, and calmly in their place.
Books must follow sciences, and not sciences books.