In order to forgive reason for the evil it has wrought on the majority of men, we must imagine for ourselves what man would be without his reason. 'Tis a necessary evil.

Society is divided into two classes, the shearers and the shorn.

The success of many books is due to the affinity between the mediocrity of the author's ideas and those of the public.

The contact of two epidermises.

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.

Preoccupation with money is the great test of small natures, but only a small test of great ones.

A man should swallow a toad every morning to be sure of not meeting with anything more revolting in the day ahead.