All passions are exaggerated, otherwise they would not be passions.

Tis easier to make certain things legal than to make them legitimate.

It is children only who enjoy the present; their elders either live on the memory of the past or the hope of the future.

Most books today seemed to have been written overnight from books read the day before.

Calumny is like the wasp which worries you, and which it is not best to try to get rid of unless you are sure of slaying it; for otherwise it returns to the charge more furious than ever.

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.

The philosopher who would fain extinguish his passions resembles the chemist who would like to let his furnace go out.