The hastening of any undertaking begets error, from which great losses are wont to come.

Happiness is not fame or riches or heroic virtues, but a state that will inspire posterity to think in reflecting upon our life, that it was the life they would wish to live.

The most hateful grief of all human griefs is to have knowledge of a truth, but no power over the event.

Tell Greece that her spring has been taken out of her year.

The Persians are very fond of wine ... It is also their general practice to deliberate upon affairs of weight when they are drunk; and then in the morning, when they are sober, the decision to which they came the night before is put before them by the master of the house in which it was made; and if it is then approved they act on it; if not, they set it aside. Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberations, but in this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine.

The worst part a man can suffer is to have insight into much and power over nothing.

Force has no place where there is need of skill.