If we had no faults, we would not derive so much pleasure from noting those of other people.

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices.

The heart of man ever finds a constant succession of passions, so that the destroying and pulling down of one proves generally tobe nothing else but the production and the setting up of another.

Few things are needful to make the wise man happy, but nothing satisfies the fool; - and this is the reason why so many of mankind are miserable.

Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.

Envy is destroyed by true friendship, as coquetry by true love.