One of man's greatest failings is that he looks almost always for an excuse, in the misfortune that befalls him through his own fault, before looking for a remedy-which means he often finds the remedy too late.

Weakness has many stages. There is a difference between feebleness by the impotency of the will, of the will to the resolution, of the resolution to the choice of means, of the choice of the means to the application.

Great men help dazzle the people; after that, they dazzle themselves even more dangerously.

In a major matter no details are small.

She knew how to trust people... a rare quality, revealing a character far above average.

There are no small steps in great affairs.

A man who doesn't trust himself can never really trust anyone else.