Love of glory, fear of shame, greed for fortune, the desire to make life agreeable and comfortable, and the wish to depreciate others - all of these are often the causes of the bravery that is spoken so highly of by men.

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.

Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.

Those great and glorious actions that dazzle our eyes with their luster are represented by statesmen as the result of great wisdomand excellent design; whereas, in truth, they are commonly the effects of the humors and passions.

We should wish for few things with eagerness, if we perfectly knew the nature of that which was the object of our desire.

We often are consoled by our want of reason for misfortunes that reason could not have comforted.

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.