What renders us so changeable in our friendship is, that it is difficult to know the qualities of the soul, but easy to know those of the mind.

The boldest stroke and best act of friendship is not to disclose our own failings to a friend, but to show him his own.

One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one.

The art of putting into play mediocre qualities often begets more reputation than is achieved by true merit.

Second-rate minds usually condemn everything beyond their grasp.

Those who give too much attention to trifling things become generally incapable of great ones.

The reason we do not let our friends see the very bottom of our hearts is not so much distrust of them as distrust of ourselves.