Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art.
The things we remember best are those better forgotten.
Don’t express your ideas too clearly. Most people think little of what they understand, and venerate what they do not.
I strive to be brief, and I become obscure.
To oblige persons often costs little and helps much.
The more merit, the less affection.
Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens more than ugly women the painter’s pencil.
Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it.
The crutch of Time accomplishes more than the club of Hercules.
You should avoid making yourself too clear even in your explanations.
Do pleasant things yourself, but unpleasant things through others.
Let the first impulse pass, wait for the second.
The passions are the humors of the mind, and the least excess sickens our judgment. If the disease spreads to the mouth, your reputation will be in danger.
Politeness and a sense of honor have this advantage: we bestow them on others without losing a thing.
The greatest fool is he who thinks he is not one and all others are.
Success rarely brings satisfaction.
Courtesy is the politic witchery of great personages.
Knowing how to keep a friend is more important than gaining a new one.
Never risk your reputation on a single shot, for if you miss the loss is irreparable.
The greatest service you can render someone else is helping him help himself.
The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.