What is called liberality is often merely the vanity of giving.

Great and glorious events which dazzle the beholder are represented by politicians as the outcome of grand designs whereas they are usually products of temperaments and passions.

Great men's honor ought always to be measured by the methods they made use of in attaining it.

When fortune surprises us by giving us some great office without having gradually led us to expect it, or without having raised our hopes, it is well nigh impossible to occupy it well, and to appear worthy to fill it.

Nature has concealed at the bottom of our minds talents and abilities of which we are not aware.

There are two sorts of constancy in love one arises from continually discovering in the loved person new subjects for love, the other arises from our making a merit of being constant.

It's the height of folly to want to be the only wise one.