Let us confess it: evil strides the world.

Everything happens through immutable laws, ...everything is necessary... There are, some persons say, some events which are necessary and others which are not. It would be very comic that one part of the world was arranged, and the other were not; that one part of what happens had to happen and that another part of what happens did not have to happen. If one looks closely at it, one sees that the doctrine contrary to that of destiny is absurd; but there are many people destined to reason badly; others not to reason at all others to persecute those who reason.

History is only the pattern of silken slippers descending the stairs to the thunder of hobnailed boots climbing upward from below.

Fools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous author is admirable. For my part I read only to please myself and like only what suits my taste.

How I like the boldness of the English, how I like the people who say what they think!

History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up.

As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities.