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

Nothing is so contagious as example.

No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that power is generally nothing more than sloth, or an impotence of will.

Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.

Constancy in love is a perpetual inconstancy which fixes our hearts successively to all the qualities of the person loved--sometimes admiring one and sometimes another above all the rest--so that this constancy roves as far as it can, and is no better than inconstancy, confined within the compass of one person.

The gratitude of most men is but a secret desire of receiving greater benefits.

The shame that arises from praise which we do not deserve often makes us do things we should otherwise never have attempted.