One is never fortunate or as unfortunate as one imagines.

The largest ambition has the least appearance of ambition when it meets with an absolute impossibility in compassing its object.

It is only persons of firmness that can have real gentleness. Those who appear gentle are, in general, only a weak character, which easily changes into asperity.

The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.

We speak little if not egged on by vanity.

The hunger for applause is the source for all conscious literature and heroism

We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.