Friendship is only a reciprocal conciliation of interests, and an exchange of good offices; it is a species of commerce out of which self-love always expects to gain something.

Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.

In love the deceit generally outstrips the distrust.

There is such a thing as a general revolution which changes the taste of men as it changes the fortunes of the world.

We never desire strongly, what we desire rationally.

What we take for virtue is often nothing but an assemblage of different actions, and of different interests, that fortune or our industry knows how to arrange.

It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we are so obstinately opposed to current opinions; we find the first places taken, and we do not want to be the last.