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

Only strong natures can really be sweet ones; those that seem sweet are in general only weak, and may easily turn sour.

Hope is the last thing that dies in man.

Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.

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

Few things are needful to make the wise man happy, but nothing satisfies the fool; - and this is the reason why so many of mankind are miserable.

We are almost always bored by just those whom we must not find boring.