Indolence, languid as it is, often masters both passions and virtues.

The extreme pleasure we take in speaking of ourselves should make us apprehensive that it gives hardly any to those who listen to us.

One thing which makes us find so few people who appear reasonable and agreeable in conversation is, that there is scarcely any one who does not think more of what he is about to say than of answering precisely what is said to him.

The violence we do to ourselves in order to remain faithful to the one we love is hardly better than an act of infidelity.

A wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win.

Old people love to give good advice; it compensates them for their inability to set a bad example.

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