Life is very short, and it ought not to be spent crawling at the feet of miserable scoundrels.

Conversationis like the table of contents of a dull book.... All the greatest subjects of human thought are proudly displayedin it. Listen to it for three minutes, and you ask yourself which is more striking, the emphasis of the speaker or his shocking ignorance.

If I meet the Christian Deity, I am lost: He is a tyrant and as such, is full of ideas of vengeance; His Bible speaks of nothing but fearful punishments. I never loved Him! I could never even believe that anyone did love Him sincerely. He is devoid of pity.... He will punish me in some abominable manner.

Politics in the middle of things of the imagination is like a pistol shot in the middle of a concert.

If you think of paying court to the men in power, your eternal ruin is assured.

The pleasures of love are always in proportion to our fears.

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