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

We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves.

The most brilliant fortunes are often not worth the littleness required to gain them.

The intention of cheating no one lays us open to being cheated ourselves.

A man is sometimes better off deceived about the one he loves, than undeceived.

Kings do with men as with pieces of money; they give them what value they please, and we are obliged to receive them at their current and not at their real value.

No matter how brilliant an action, it should not be considered great unless it was the result of a great motive.