They who, without any previous knowledge of us, think amiss of us, do us no harm; they attack not us, but the phantom of their own imagination.

Life at court does not satisfy a man, but it keeps him from being satisfied with anything else.

It requires more than mere genius to be an author.

As a man falls out of favour and his wealth declines, we discover for the first time the ridiculous aspects of his character, which were always there but which wealth and favour had concealed.

All the world says of a coxcomb that he is a coxcomb; but no one dares to say so to his face, and he dies without knowing it.

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

Wit is the god of moments, but Genius is the god of ages.