Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.

An avowal of poverty is no disgrace to any man; to make no effort to escape it is indeed disgraceful.

Some legislators only wish to vengeance against a particular enemy. Others only look out for themselves. They devote very little time on the consideration of any public issue. They think that no harm will come from their neglect. They act as if it is always the business of somebody else to look after this or that. When this selfish notion is entertained by all, the commonwealth slowly begins to decay.

In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it.

The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine.

For if many ill-conceived plans have succeeded through the still greater lack of judgment of an opponent, many more, apparently well laid, have on the contrary ended in disgrace. The confidence with which we form our schemes is never completely justified in their execution; speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure.

For men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.