A woman with eyes only for one person, or with eyes always averted from him, creates exactly the same impression.

Both as to high and low indifferently, men are prepossessed, charmed, fascinated by success; successful crimes are praised very much like virtue itself, and good fortune is not far from occupying the place of the whole cycle of virtues. It must be an atrocious act, a base and hateful deed, which success would not be able to justify.

We should keep silent about those in power; to speak well of them almost implies flattery; to speak ill of them while they are alive is dangerous, and when they are dead is cowardly.

There is no road too long to the man who advances deliberately and without undue haste; there are no honors too distant to the man who prepares himself for them with patience.

As riches and honor forsake a man, we discover him to be a fool, but nobody could find it out in his prosperity.

It is motive alone that gives real value to the actions of men, and disinterestedness puts the cap to it.

Women are extreme; they are better than men, or worse.