Jealousy is in some measure just and reasonable, since it merely aims at keeping something that belongs to us or we think belongsto us, whereas envy is a frenzy that cannot bear anything that belongs to others.

The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest.

Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth.

Idleness and fear keeps us in the path of duty, but our virtue often gets the praise.

Those that have had great passions esteem themselves for the rest of their lives fortunate and unfortunate in being cured of them.

In order to succeed in the world people do their upmost to appear successful.

The judgments our enemies make about us come nearer to the truth than those we make about ourselves.