Nothing can be fairer, or more noble, than the holy fervor of true zeal.

One can be well-bred and write bad poetry

It is fine for a woman to know a lot; but I don't want her to have this shocking desire to be learned for learnedness sake. When I ask a woman a question, I like her to pretend to ignore what she really knows.

There is no fate more distressing for an artist than to have to show himself off before fools, to see his work exposed to the criticism of the vulgar and ignorant.

How easy love makes fools of us.

Heaven forbids, it is true, certain gratifications, but there are ways and means of compounding such matters.

It's an odd job, making decent people laugh.