We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.

You may drive a dog off the King's armchair, and it will climb into the preacher's pulpit; he views the world unmoved, unembarrassed, unabashed.

Avoid lawsuits beyond all things; they pervert your conscience, impair your health, and dissipate your property.

Piety with some people, but especially with women, is either a passion, or an infirmity of age, or a fashion which must be followed.

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.

It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.

Even the best intentioned of great men need a few scoundrels around them; there are some things you cannot ask an honest ma to do.