Who hath not courage to revenge will never find generosity to forgive.

Death, whether it regards ourselves or others, appears less terrible in war than at home. The cries of women and children, friends in anguish, a dark room, dim tapers, priests and physicians, are what affect us the most on the death-bed. Behold us already more than half dead and buried.

When you descant on the faults of others, consider whether you be not guilty of the same. To gain knowledge of ourselves, the best way is to convert the imperfections of others into a mirror for discovering our own.

Custom is the great leveller. It corrects the inequality of fortune by lessening equally the pleasures of the prince and the pains of the peasant.

An infallible way to make your child miserable is to satisfy all his demands.

As nice as we are in love, we forgive more faults in that than in friendship.

Nothing more excites to everything noble and generous, than virtuous love.