“In order to prove a friend to one’s guests, frugality must reign in one’s meals; and, according to an ancient saying, one must eat to live, not live to eat.”

He makes his cook his merit, and the world visits his dinners and not him.

Grammar, which can govern even Kings.

A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool.

Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths. It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do. A lover whose passion is extreme loves even the faults of the beloved.

Debts are nowadays like children begot with pleasure, but brought forth in pain.

It is a fine seasoning for joy to think of those we love.

Reasoning is the pastime of my whole household, and all this reasoning has driven out Reason.

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.

A woman always has her revenge ready.

I have the knack of easing scruples.

Its as if you think you’d never find Reason and the Sacred intertwined.

I feed on good soup, not beautiful language.

We die only once, and for such a long time.

Human weakness is to desire to know what one does not want to know.

Frenchmen have an unlimited capacity for gallantry and indulge it on every occasion.

My fair one, let us swear an eternal friendship.