A man convinced of his own merit will accept misfortune as an honor, for thus can he persuade others, as well as himself, that he is a worthy target for the arrows of fate.

It is more difficult for a man to be faithful to his mistress when he is favored than when he is ill treated by her.

Satire is at once the most agreeable and most dangerous of mental qualities. It always pleases when it is refined, but we always fear those who use it too much; yet satire should be allowed when unmixed with spite, and when the person satirized can join in the satire.

There are two sorts of constancy in love one arises from continually discovering in the loved person new subjects for love, the other arises from our making a merit of being constant.

No men are oftener wrong than those that can least bear to be so.

It is a common fault never to be satisfied with our fortune, nor dissatisfied with our understanding.

None but the contemptible are apprehensive of contempt.