Mortals are equal; their mask differs.

Before receiving your instruction, I must tell you what happened to me one day. I had just had a closet built at the end of my garden. I heard a mole arguing with a cockchafer; 'Here's a fine structure,' said the mole, 'it must have been a very powerful mole who did this work.' 'You're joking,' said the cockchafer; 'it's a cockchafer full of genius who is the architect of this building.' From that moment I resolved never to argue.

What a pessimist you are!" exclaimed Candide. "That is because I know what life is," said Martin.

Those who are absent, by its means become present; it [mail] is the consolation of life.

To enjoy life we must touch much of it lightly.

What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature.

A fool is a person who guesses and gets it wrong, a clever man is one who guesses, regardless of time period, and gets it right.