The truest mark of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy.

Envy is more incapable of reconciliation than hatred is.

It seems that nature, which has so wisely disposed our bodily organs with a view to our happiness, has also bestowed on us pride, to spare us the pain of being aware of our imperfections.

Love of fame, fear of disgrace, schemes for advancement, desire to make life comfortable and pleasant, and the urge to humiliate others are often at the root of the valour men hold in such high esteem.

What keeps us from abandoning ourselves entirely to one vice, often, is the fact that we have several.

Fancy sets the value on the gifts of fortune.

A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.