Nature has endowed each of us with a capacity for kindly feelings: let us not squander them on others.
Marquis de SadeMan's natural character is to imitate; that of the sensitive man is to resemble as closely as possible the person whom he loves. It is only by imitating the vices of others that I have earned my misfortunes.
Marquis de SadeGod strung up his own son like a side of veal. I shudder to think what he would do to me.
Marquis de SadeMurder is a horror, but an often necessary horror, never criminal, which it is essential to tolerate in a republican State. Is it or is it not a crime? If it is not, why make laws for its punishment? And if it is, by what barbarous logic do you, to punish it, duplicate it by another crime?
Marquis de Sade