To praise great actions with sincerity may be said to be taking part in them.

The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.

It is easier to rule others than to keep from being ruled oneself.

Perfect behavior is born of complete indifference.

Of all our faults, the one we avow most easily is idleness; we persuade ourselves that it is allied to all the peaceable virtues,and as for the others, that it does not destroy them utterly, but only suspends the exercise of their functions.

It is a mighty error to suppose that none but violent and strong passions, such as love and ambition, are able to vanquish the rest. Even idleness, as feeble and languishing as it is, sometimes reigns over them; it usurps the throne and sits paramount over all the designs and actions of our lives, and imperceptibly wastes and destroys all our passions and all our virtues.

The intellect is always fooled by the heart.