Honest people will respect us for our merit: the public, for our luck.

A man, in order to establish himself in the world, does everything he can to appear established there.

Small minds are much distressed by little things. Great minds see them all but are not upset by them.

The height of cleverness is to be able to conceal it.

Gratitude, in most men, is only a strong and secret hope of greater favors.

Reason alone is insufficient to make us enthusiastic in any matter.

Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.