The praise we give to new comers into the world arises from the envy we bear to those who are established.

Hope and fear are inseparable.

We often persuade ourselves to love people who are more powerful than we are, yet interest alone produces our friendship; we do not give our hearts away for the good we wish to do, but for that we expect to receive.

The daily employment of cunning marks a little mind, it generally happens that those who resort to it in one respect to protect themselves lay themselves open to attack in another.

It is harder to hide the feelings we have than to feign the ones we do not have.

What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving; we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.

The desire to seem clever often keeps us from being so.