If one judges love according to the greatest part of the effects it produces, it would appear to resemble rather hatred than kindness.

We can be more clever than one, but not more clever than all.

Praise is flattery, artful, hidden, delicate, which gratifies differently him who praises and him who is praised. The one takes it as the reward of merit, the other bestows it to show his impartiality and knowledge.

The gallantry of the mind consists in agreeable flattery.

Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.

We often in our misfortunes take that for constancy and patience which is only dejection of mind; we suffer without daring to holdup our heads, just as cowards let themselves be knocked on the head because they have not courage to strike back.

Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.