Often the losing of a battle leads to the winning of progress. Less glory but greater liberty: the drum is silent and the voices of reason can be heard.

We would be ashamed of our best behavior if the people knew the motives of our behaving so.

I will be Chateaubriand or nothing.

Civil war.... What did the words mean? Was there any such thing as "foreign war"? Was not all warfare between men warfare between brothers?

Not seeing people allows you to think of them as perfect in all kinds of ways.

He is the best gentleman that is the son of his own deserts, and not the degenerated heir of another's virtue.

"I should hope so," Laigle replied, "for my coat and I live comfortably together. It has assumed all my wrinkles, does not hurt me anywhere, has moulded itself on my deformities, and is complacent to all my movements, and 1 only feel its presence because it keeps me warm."