Self-love is an instrument useful but dangerous; it often wounds the hand which makes use of it, and seldom does good without doing harm.

Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.

In a well governed state, there are few punishments, not because there are many pardons, but because criminals are rare; it is when a state is in decay that the multitude of crimes is a gaurantee of impunity.

Everything is good as it comes from the hands of the Maker of the world, but degenerates once it gets into the hands of man

The freedom of Mankind does not lie in the fact that can do what we want, but that we do not have to do that which we do not want.

A child who passes through many hands in turn, can never be well brought up. At every change he makes a secret comparison, which continually tends to lessen his respect for those who control him, and with it their authority over him. If once he thinks there are grown-up people with no more sense than children the authority of age is destroyed and his education is ruined.

Every artists wants to be applauded