We make promises to the extent that we hope-and keep them to the extent that we fear.

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

Gratitude is like credit; it is the backbone of our relations; frequently we pay our debts not because equity demands that we should, but to facilitate future loans.

The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.

There are some faults which, when well managed, make a greater figure than virtue itself.

Vanity, shame, and above all disposition, often make men brave and women chaste.

What makes vanity so insufferable to us, is that it hurts our own.