The infant, on opening his eyes, ought to see his country, and to the hour of his death never lose sight of it.

The world is the book of women. Whatever knowledge they may possess is more commonly acquired by observation than by reading.

Inopportune consolations increase a deep sorrow.

Ruthless man: you begin by slaying the animal and then you devour it, as if to slay it twice. It is not enough. You turn against the dead flesh, it revolts you, it must be transformed by fire, boiled and roasted, seasoned and disguised with drugs; you must have butchers, cooks, turnspits, men who will rid the murder of its horrors, who will dress the dead bodies so that the taste decieved by these disguises will not reject what is strange to it, and will feast on corpses, the very sight of which would sicken you.

A born king is a very rare being.

Our greatest misfortunes come to us from ourselves.

Nature wants children to be children before men... Childhood has its own seeing, thinking and feeling.