If youth were not ignorant and timid, civilization would be impossible.

Virtue, perhaps, is nothing more than politeness of soul.

The press is like a woman: sublime when it lies, it will not let go until it has forced you to believe it. The public, like a foolish husband, always succumbs.

A country is strong which consists of wealthy families, every member of whom is interested in defending a common treasure; it is weak when composed of scattered individuals, to whom it matters little whether they obey seven or one, a Russian or a Corsican, so long as each keeps his own plot of land, blind in their wretched egotism, to the fact that the day is coming when this too will be torn from them.

I am a galley slave to pen and ink.

Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it.

The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a crime forgotten, for it was properly done.