Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart.
My hate is general, I detest all men; Some because they are wicked and do evil, Others because they tolerate the wicked, Refusing them the active vigorous scorn Which vice should stimulate in virtuous minds.
Le plus grand faible des hommes, c’est l’amour qu’ils ont de la vie.
Man, I can assure you, is a nasty creature.
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.
Then worms shall try That long preserved virginity, And your quaint honor turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust. The grave’s a fine and private place But none, I think, do there embrace.
It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.
How easily a fathers tenderness is recalled, and how quickly a son’s offenses vanish at the slightest word of repentance!
Perfect reason avoids all extremes.
A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation.
Better to be married than dead!
All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.
The world, dear Agnes, is a strange affair.
Folk whose own behavior is most ridiculous are always to the fore in slandering others.
Every good act is charity. A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.
Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.
Love is a great master. It teaches us to be what we never were.
He must have killed a lot of men to have made so much money.
Those whose conduct gives room for talk are always the first to attack their neighbors.
How strange it is to see with how much passion People see things only in their own fashion!