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.
Jean de la BruyereThe very essence of politeness seems to be to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.
Jean de la BruyereThose who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.
Jean de la BruyereDiscretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide to us in all the duties of life; cunning is a kind of instinct, that only looks out after our immediate interests and welfare. Discretion is only found in men of strong sense and good understanding; cunning is often to be met with in brutes themselves, and in persons who are but the fewest removes from them.
Jean de la Bruyere