L'absence diminue les mediocres passions, et augmente les grandes,comme le vent eteint les bougies, et allume le feu. Absence diminishes commonplace passions, and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and kindles fire.

Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly draw upon themselves. It is a vain boasting of the greatness of our mind.

He that would be a great man must learn to turn every accident to some advantage.

There is no better proof of a man's being truly good than his desiring to be constantly under the observation of good men.

There is great skill in knowing how to conceal one's skill.

What renders other people's vanity insufferable is that it wounds our own.

We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.