The premeditation of death is the premeditation of liberty; he who has learnt to die has forgot to serve.

Intoxication is calculated to put heart into the elderly and give them delight in dancing.

Those who give the first shock to a state are the first overwhelmed in its ruin; the fruits of public commotion are seldom enjoyed by him who was the first mover; he only beats the water for another's net.

A strong memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment.

We are nothing but ceremony; ceremony carries us away, and we leave the substance of things; we hang on to the branches and abandon the trunk and body.

Diogenes was asked what wine he liked best; and he answered as I would have done when he said, "Somebody else's".

Great authors, when they write about causes, adduce not only those they think are true but also those they do not believe in, provided they have some originality and beauty. They speak truly and usefully enough if they speak ingeniously.