There are reproaches which praise, and praises which defame.
Were we not proud ourselves, we should not complain of the pride of others.
We are lazier in our minds than in our bodies.
Indolence, languid as it is, often masters both passions and virtues.
Luxury and excessive refinement are sure forerunners of the decadence of states, because when all individuals seek their own interests they neglect the public weal.
All our qualities, whether good or bad, are unstable and ambiguous, and almost all are at the mery of chance.