It is more often from pride than from defective understanding that people oppose established opinions: they find the best places taken in the good party and are reluctant to accept inferior ones.

Love has its name borrowed by a great number of dealings and affairs that are attributed to it--in which it has no greater part than the Doge in what is done at Venice.

A man convinced of his own merit will accept misfortune as an honor, for thus can he persuade others, as well as himself, that he is a worthy target for the arrows of fate.

Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.

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

Moderation resembles temperance. We are not so unwilling to eat more, as afraid of doing ourselves harm by it.

Hope and fear are inseparable. There is no hope without fear, nor any fear without hope.