There is nothing which continues longer than a moderate fortune; nothing of which one sees sooner the end than a large fortune.

To give awkwardly is churlishness. The most difficult part is to give, then why not add a smile?

If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?

There is no employment in the world so laborious as that of making to one's self a great name; life ends before one has scarcely made the first rough draught of his work.

Logic is the art of convincing us some truth.

The pleasure a man of honor enjoys in the consciousness of having performed his duty is a reward he pays himself for all his pains.

The pleasure we feel in criticizing robs us from being moved by very beautiful things.