I have often seen people uncivil by too much civility, and tiresome in their courtesy.

The most unhappy and frail creatures are men and yet they are the proudest.

Sometimes it is a good choice not to choose at all.

Authors communicate with the people by some special extrinsic mark; I am the first to do so by my entire being, as Michel de Montaigne.

If faces were not alike, we could not distinguish men from beasts; if they were not different, we could not tell one man from another.

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.

Since we cannot match it let us take our revenge by abusing it.