Man is the sole animal whose nudities offend his own companions, and the only one who, in his natural actions, withdraws and hides himself from his own kind.

And obstinacy is the sister of constancy, at least in vigour and stability.

The honor we receive from those that fear us, is not honor; those respects are paid to royalty and not to me.

Most of our occupations are low comedy.... We must play our part duly, but as the part of a borrowed character. Of the mask and appearance we must not make a real essence, nor of what is foreign what is our very own.

It is a thorny undertaking, and more so than it seems, to follow a movement so wandering as that of our mind, to penetrate the opaque depths of its innermost folds, to pick out and immobilize the innumerable flutterings that agitate it.

Who ever saw a doctor use the prescription of his colleague without cutting out or adding something?

A father is very miserable who has no other hold on his children's affection than the need they have of his assistance, if that can be called affection.