Contact with the world either breaks or hardens the heart.

Marriage, as practised by high society, is arranged indecency.

Wicked people sometimes perform good actions. I suppose they wish to see if this gives as great a feeling of pleasure as the virtuous claim for it.

His passions make man live, his wisdom merely makes him last.

Nature never said to me: Do not be poor; still less did she say: Be rich; her cry to me was always: Be independent.

It is said of a lonely man that he does not appreciate the life of society. This is like saying he hates hiking because he dislikes walking in thick forest on a dark night.

There some trifles well habited, as there are some fools well clothed.