A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order of their value.

The reason why lovers are never bored together is that they are always talking of themselves.

Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.

We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them.

The surest proof of being endowed with noble qualities is to be free from envy.

The common foible of women who have been handsome is to forget that they are no longer so.

It appears that nature has hid at the bottom of our hearts talents and abilities unknown to us. It is only the passions that have the power of bringing them to light, and sometimes give us views more true and more perfect than art could possibly do.