The reason why most women have so little sense of friendship is that this is but a cold and flat passion to those that have felt that of love.

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

We are never either so fortunate or so misfortunate as we imagine.

Few are sufficiently wise to prefer censure which is useful to praise which is treacherous.

Passion often makes fools of the wisest men and gives the silliest wisdom.

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.

Magnanimity is sufficiently defined by its name, nevertheless one can say it is the good sense of pride, the most noble way of receiving praise.