Bodily labor alleviates the pains of the mind and from this arises the happiness of the poor

If we had no faults, we would not derive so much pleasure from noting those of other people.

All our qualities, whether good or bad, are unstable and ambiguous, and almost all are at the mery of chance.

We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge.

The aversion to lying is often a hidden ambition to render our words credible and weighty, and to attach a religious aspect to our conversation.

Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.

It is a great act of cleverness to be able to conceal one's being clever.