Friendship is a traffic wherein self-love always proposes to be the gainer.

It is more often from pride than from defective understanding that people oppose established opinions: they find the best places taken in the good party and are reluctant to accept inferior ones.

One man may be more cunning than another, but no one can be more cunning than all the world.

We are much mistaken if we think that men are always brave from a principle of valor, or women chaste from a principle of modesty.

Virtue would not make such advances if there were not a little vanity to keep it company.

It is easy to be wise on behalf of others than to be so for ourselves.

Whilst weakness and timidity keep us to our duty, virtue has often all the honor.