The principal use of prudence, of self-control, is that it teaches us to be masters of our passions, and to so control and guide them that the evils which they cause are quite bearable, and that we even derive joy from them all.

It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

Travelling is almost like talking with those of other centuries.

Human wisdom remains always one and the same although applied to the most diverse objects and it is no more changed by their diversity than the sunshine is changed by the variety of objects which it illuminates.

I hope that posterity will judge me kindly, not only as to the things which I have explained, but also to those which I have intentionally omitted so as to leave to others the pleasure of discovery.

Everything is self-evident.