The most violent passions sometimes leave us at rest, but vanity agitates us constantly.

Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight.

The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.

None deserve praise for being good who have not the spirit to be bad: goodness, for the most part, is nothing but indolence or weakness of will.

In love deceit almost always outstrips distrust.

Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind.

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.