Ability wins us the esteem of the true men; luck, that of the people.

We are nearer loving those who hate us than those who love us more than we wish.

However much we may distrust men's sincerity, we always believe they speak to us more sincerely than to others.

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

Even women are perfect at the outset.

Whatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them.

However evil men may be they dare not be openly hostile to virtue, and so when they want to attack it they pretend to find it spurious , or impute crimes to it.