The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself.

A man for whom accident discovers sense, is not a rational being. A man only is so who understands, who distinguishes, who tests it.

One honor won is a surety for more.

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

We should not be upset that others hide the truth from us, when we hide it so often from ourselves.

The generality of men have, like plants, latent properties, which chance brings to light.

As one grows older, one becomes wiser and more foolish.