A man must have very eminent qualities to hold his own without being polite.

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

Even the best intentioned of great men need a few scoundrels around them; there are some things you cannot ask an honest ma to do.

The very essence of politeness seems to be to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.

Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do, health, quiet, honor and conscience, to obtain them: It is to pay so dear from them that the bargain is a loss.

Great things astonish us, and small dishearten us. Custom makes both familiar.

The nearer we come to great men the more clearly we see that they are only men. They rarely seem great to their valets.