You may drive a dog off the King's armchair, and it will climb into the preacher's pulpit; he views the world unmoved, unembarrassed, unabashed.

A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on some other subject of which he has but a slight knowledge; if such an illustrious man ventures beyond the bounds of his capacity, he loses his way and talks like a fool.

It would be a kind of ferocity to reject indifferently all sorts of praise. One should be glad to have that which comes from good men who praise in sincerity things that are really praiseworthy.

Envy and hatred go together. Mutually strengthened by the fact pursue the same object.

All of our unhappiness comes from our inability to be alone.

One should never risk a joke, even of the mildest and most unexceptional charters, except among people of culture and wit.

The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the woman we love.