Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.

Death puts an end to rivalship and competition. The dead can boast no advantage over us, nor can we triumph over them.

Most of the methods for measuring the lapse of time have, I believe, been the contrivance of monks and religious recluses, who, finding time hang heavy on their hands, were at some pains to see how they got rid of it.

We imagine that the admiration of the works of celebrated men has become common, because the admiration of their names has become so.

I like a person who knows his own mind and sticks to it; who sees at once what, in given circumstances, is to be done, and does it.

No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves.

Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the hopes and fears of the next to vary the prospect before them.