It seems to me that the spirit of politeness is a certain attention in causing that, by our words and by our manners, others may be content with us and with themselves.

A man has made great progress in cunning when he does not seem too clever to others.

It is the glory and merit of some men to write well and of others not to write at all.

All men's misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone.

Dissimulation, even the most innocent in its nature, is ever productive of embarrassment; whether the design is evil or not artifice is always dangerous and almost inevitably disgraceful.

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.

He who has lived a day has lived an age.