Only the history of free peoples is worth our attention; the history of men under a despotism is merely a collection of anecdotes.

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.

Success makes success, like money makes money.

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

Society would be a charming affair if we were only interested in one another.

It's a question of prudence. Nobody has a high opinion of fishwives but who would dare offend them while walking through the fish market.

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