People can be induced to swallow anything, provided it is sufficiently seasoned with praise.

Of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive.

At least it's better to be married than to be dead.

The art of flatterers is to take advantage of the foibles of the great, to foster their errors, and never to give advice which may annoy.

unbroken happiness is a bore: it should have ups and downs.

We should look long and carefully at ourselves before we pass judgement on others.

Of all follies there is none greater than wanting to make the world a better place.

Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.

The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.

Man, I can assure you, is a nasty creature.

No matter what everybody says, ultimately these things can harm us only by the way we react to them.

Things are only worth what you make them worth.

There is no secret of the heart which our actions do not disclose.

People are all alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ.

Great is the fortune of he who possesses a good bottle, a good book, and a good friend.

Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait.

It is the public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all.

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.

I assure you, an educated fool is more foolish than an uneducated one.