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.

It is necessary, in order to know things well, to know the particulars of them; and these, being infinite, make our knowledge eversuperficial and imperfect.

There is such a thing as a general revolution which changes the taste of men as it changes the fortunes of the world.

Never give anyone the advice to buy or sell shares, because the most benevolent price of advice can turn out badly.

Love, all agreeable as it is, charms more by the fashion in which it displays itself, than by its own true merit.

When a man is in love, he doubts, very often, what he most firmly believes.

To awaken a man who is deceived as to his own merit is to do him as bad a turn as that done to the Athenian madman who was happy in believing that all the ships touching at the port belonged to him.