Master of the universe but not of myself, I am the only rebel against my absolute power.
The crime and not the scaffold makes the shame.
How delicious is pleasure after torment!
The man who pardons easily courts injury.
Just as We never taste happiness in perfection, our most fortunate successes are mixed with sadness. So too we never taste sadness completely, as things could always be worse in some way and for this we can be grateful.
Oh, how sweet it is to pity the fate of an enemy who can no longer threaten us!