We rarely repent of speaking little, but often of speaking too much.

He who can wait for what he desires takes the course not to be exceedingly grieved if he fails of it; he, on the contrary, who labors after a thing too impatiently thinks the success when it comes is not a recompense equal to all the pains he has been at about it.

All of our unhappiness comes from our inability to be alone.

He who excels in his art so as to carry it to the utmost height of perfection of which it is capable may be said in some measure to go beyond it: his transcendent productions admit of no appellations.

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.

There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking.

A well-born man is fortunate, but so is the man about whom people no longer ask, 'is he well-born?'