The most brilliant fortunes are often not worth the littleness required to gain them.

There is no praise we have not lavished upon prudence; and yet she cannot assure to us the most trifling event.

There is an excess both in happiness and misery above our power of sensation.

It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.

We always love those who admire us, but we do not always love those whom we admire.

Old men delight in giving good advice as a consolation for the fact that they can no longer set bad examples.

The generality of friends puts us out of conceit with friendship; just as the generality of religious people puts us out of conceit with religion.