Of all the passions, fear weakens judgment most.

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

What is necessary is never a risk.

Nothing indicates the soundness of a man's judgment so much as knowing how to choose between two disadvantages.

When you are obliged to make a statement that you know will cause displeasure, you must say it with every appearance of sincerity; this is the only way to make it palatable.

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.

Most men only commit great crimes because of their scruples about petty ones.