We say little, when vanity does not make us speak.

Humility is often only a feigned submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a more calculated sort of pride.

A clever man reaps some benefit from the worst catastrophe, and a fool can turn even good luck to his disadvantage.

We should not be upset that others hide the truth from us, when we hide it so often from ourselves.

Most men, like plants, possess hidden qualities which chance discovers.

The desire of talking of ourselves, and showing those faults we do not mind having seen, makes up a good part of our sincerity.

We often act treacherously more from weakness than from a fixed motive.