The maxims of men reveal their characters.
If passion sometimes counsels greater boldness than does reflection, it gives more strength to execute it.
The law cannot equalize mankind in spite of nature.
When we are sick our virtues and our vices are in abeyance.
Neither the gifts nor the blows of fortune equal those of nature.
It is of no use to possess a lively wit if it is not of the right proportion: the perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate.