Many men would have arrived at wisdom had they not believed themselves to have arrived there already.

Virtue depends partly upon training and partly upon practice; you must learn first, and then strengthen your learning by actions.

Be silent as to services you have rendered, but speak of favours you have received.

So called pleasures, when they go beyond a certain limit, are but punishments.

If you wish to be loved, love.

Shun no toil to make yourself remarkable by some talent or other; yet do not devote yourself to one branch exclusively. Strive to get clear notions about all. Give up no science entirely; for science is but one.

What madness it is for a man to starve himself to enrich his heir, and so turn a friend into an enemy! For his joy at your death will be proportioned to what you leave him.