I am always afraid of a fool. One cannot be sure that he is not a knave as well.

Those who are fond of setting things to rights, have no great objection to seeing them wrong.

Within my heart is lurking suspicion, and base fear, and shame and hate; but above all, tyrannous love sits throned, crowned with her graces, silent and in tears.

The love of letters is the forlorn hope of the man of letters. His ruling passion is the love of fame.

Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.

Mankind are so ready to bestow their admiration on the dead, because the latter do not hear it, or because it gives no pleasure to the objects of it. Even fame is the offspring of envy.

What are the publications that succeed? Those that pretend to teach the public that the persons they have been accustomed unwittingly to look up to as the lights of the earth are no better than themselves.