The difference breeds hatred.

Indeed, man has two different beings inside him. What devil thought of that malicious touch?

When a man leaves his mistress, he runs the risk of being betrayed two or three times daily.

Love has always been the most important business in my life; I should say the only one.

There is no such thing as "natural law": this expression is nothing but old nonsense... Prior to laws, what is natural is only the strength of the lion, or the need of the creature suffering from hunger or cold, in short, need.

Our true passions are selfish.

At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.