 A man of the world must seem to be what he wishes to be thought. |
| It is a sad thing when men have neither the wit to speak well nor the judgment to hold their tongues. |
| Making a book is a craft, like making a clock; it needs more than native wit to be an author. |
| It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men. |
| A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position. |
| The Opera is obviously the first draft of a fine spectacle; it suggests the idea of one. |
| It is fortunate to be of high birth, but it is no less so to be of such character that people do not care to know whether you are or are not. |
| The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the woman we love. |
| To be among people one loves, that's sufficient; to dream, to speak to them, to be silent among them, to think of indifferent things; but among them, everything is equal. |
| Next to sound judgment, diamonds and pearls are the rarest things in the world. |
| When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman. |
| There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking. |
| The wise person often shuns society for fear of being bored. |
| The passion of hatred is so long lived and so obstinate a malady that the surest sign of death in a sick person is their desire for reconciliation. |
| Grief at the absence of a loved one is happiness compared to life with a person one hates. |
| If poverty is the mother of crime, lack of good sense is the father. |
| The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. He who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own cleverness is perfectly well pleased with you. |
| This great misfortune - to be incapable of solitude. |
| The pleasure we feel in criticizing robs us from being moved by very beautiful things. |
| Time makes friendship stronger, but love weaker. |
