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.

Men frequently do good only to give themselves opportunity of doing ill with impunity.

In all aspects of life, we take on a part and an appearance to seem to be what we wish to be--and thus the world is merely composed of actors.

They that apply themselves to trifling matters commonly become incapable of great ones.

The strongest symptom of wisdom in man is his being sensible of his own follies.

The greatest part of our faults are more excusable than the methods that are commonly taken to conceal them.

Neither love nor fire can subsist without perpetual motion; both cease to live so soon as they cease to hope, or to fear.