We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.

Nothing is rarer than real goodness.

All women are flirts, but some are restrained by shyness, and others by sense.

Only the contemptible fear contempt.

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

The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.

There are no events so disastrous that adroit men do not draw some advantage from them, nor any so fortunate that the imprudent cannot turn to their own prejudice.