Foolish jokers are thick on the ground, and it rains insects of that sort everywhere. A good joker is a rarity; even a man who is such by nature finds it hard to sustain the part for long; it seldom happens that the man who makes us laugh wins our esteem.

It is in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.

This great misfortune, to be incapable of solitude.

The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.

How sweet, how passing sweet, is solitude!

A modest man never talks of himself.

That man is good who does good to others; if he suffers on account of the good he does, he is very good; if he suffers at the hands of those to whom he has done good, then his goodness is so great that it could be enhanced only by greater sufferings; and if he should die at their hands, his virtue can go no further: it is heroic, it is perfect.