Often we are firm from weakness, and audacious from timidity.

Hope and fear are inseparable. There is no hope without fear, nor any fear without hope.

To awaken a man who is deceived as to his own merit is to do him as bad a turn as that done to the Athenian madman who was happy in believing that all the ships touching at the port belonged to him.

The reason why most women have so little sense of friendship is that this is but a cold and flat passion to those that have felt that of love.

Nothing is rarer than true good nature; they who are reputed to have it are generally only pliant or weak.

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.

One kind of happiness is to know exactly at what point to be miserable.