The only good copies are those which make us see the absurdity of bad originals.
It is easy to be wise on behalf of others than to be so for ourselves.
Everyone praises his heart, none dare praise their understanding.
Friendship is only a reciprocal conciliation of interests, and an exchange of good offices; it is a species of commerce out of which self-love always expects to gain something.
We are almost always bored by just those whom we must not find boring.
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.