Cardinal Mazarin was a great knave, but no great man; much more cunning than able; scandalously false and dirtily greedy.

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it.

Mind not only what people say, but how they say it; and if you have any sagacity, you may discover more truth by your eyes than by your ears. People can say what they will, but they cannot look just as they will; and their looks frequently (reveal) what their words are calculated to conceal.

If you love music hear it; go to operas, concerts, and pay fiddlers to play to you; but I insist upon your neither piping nor fiddling yourself. It puts a gentleman in a very frivolous, contemptible light; brings him into a great deal of bad company; and takes up a great deal of time, which might be much better employed.

Distrust those who love you extremely upon a slight acquaintance, and without any visible reason.

There is hardly anybody good for everything, and there is scarcely anybody who is absolutely good for nothing.

In nature the most violent passions are silent; in tragedy they must speak and speak with dignity too.