Usually we praise only to be praised.

Most of our faults are more pardonable than the means we use to conceal them.

We frequently do good in order to enable us to do evil later with impunity exemption of punishment.

Sometimes we lose friends for whose loss our regret is greater than our grief, and others for whom our grief is greater than our regret.

Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.

It often happens that things come into the mind in a more finished form than could have been achieved after much study.

Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.