I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges, astronomy, astrology, metempsychosis, etc...
A good imitation is the most perfect originality.
Friends should be preferred to kings.
Writing is the painting of the voice.
Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.
If you want to kill Christianity you must abolish Sunday.
Nothing is so common as to imitate one’s enemies, and to use their weapons.
Music is the pathway to the heart.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity.
The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing.
The hallmark of a free society is that I may totally disapprove of what you say, but I’ll defend your right to say it until I die.
Fame is a heavy burden.
It is not enough to be exceptionally mad, licentious and fanatical in order to win a great reputation; it is still necessary to arrive on the scene at the right time.
Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare.
It is not a mistress I have lost but half of myself, a soul for which my soul seems to have been made.
Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said.
A woman can keep one secret the secret of her age.
God prefers bad verses recited with a pure heart to the finest verses chanted by the wicked.
Wine is the divine juice of September.
Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most.