Great men always pay deference to greater.

When the mind loses its feeling for elegance, it grows corrupt and groveling, and seeks in the crowd what ought to be found at home.

As there are some flowers which you should smell but slightly to extract all that is pleasant in them ... so there are some men with whom a slight acquaintance is quite sufficient to draw out all that is agreeable; a more intimate one would be unsafe and unsatisfactory.

All schools of philosophy, and almost all authors, are rather to be frequented for exercise than for weight.

There are proud men of so much delicacy that it almost conceals their pride, and perfectly excuses it.

Solitude is the audience-chamber of God.

Absurdities are great or small in proportion to custom or insuetude.