To say that we have a clear conscience is to utter a solecism; had we never sinned we should have had no conscience. Were defeat unknown, neither would victory be celebrated by songs of triumph.

Not on morality, but on cookery, let us build our stronghold: there brandishing our frying-pan, as censer, let us offer sweet incense to the Devil, and live at ease on the fat things he has provided for his elect!

How were friendship possible? In mutual devotedness to the good and true; otherwise impossible, except as armed neutrality or hollow commercial league. A man, be the heavens ever praised, is sufficient for himself; yet were ten men, united in love, capable of being and of doing what ten thousand singly would fail in. Infinite is the help man can yield to man.

A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.

Unity, agreement, is always silent or soft-voiced; it is only discord that loudly proclaims itself.

Nine-tenths of the miseries and vices of mankind proceed from idleness.

The steam-engine I call fire-demon and great; but it is nothing to the invention of fire.