“The English are busy folk; they have no time in which to be polite.”

…when the laws have ceased to be executed, as this can only come from the corruption of the republic, the state is already lost.

The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.

In a republic there is no coercive force as in other governments, the laws must therefore endeavor to supply this defect.

What cowardice it is to be dismayed by the happiness of others and devastated by there good fortune.

In republican governments, men are all equal; equal they are also in despotic governments: in the former, because they are everything; in the latter, because they are nothing.

There is hardly any grief that an hour’s reading will not dissipate.

There are countries where a man is worth nothing; there are others where he is worth less than nothing.

An injustice committed against anyone is a threat to everyone.

Virtue in a republic is the love of one’s country, that is the love of equality.

There is still another inconvenieney in conquests made by democracies; their government is ever odious to the conquered states. It is apparently monarchical, but in reality it is more oppressive than monarchy, as the experience of all ages and countries evinces.

Solemnity is the shield of idiots

Great commanders write their actions with simplicity; because they receive more glory from facts than from words.

Life was given to me as a favor, so I may abandon it when it is one no longer.

The English are busy; they don’t have time to be polite.

Each particular society begins to feel its strength, whence arises a state of war between different nations.

The crime against nature will never make any great progress in society unless people are prompted to it by some particular custom.

Be polite to all, but intimate with few.

Words are doctors for the diseased temper.

Please be polite. Nothing in life should erode the habit of saying thank you to people or praising them.

In polite society, we call our obsessions hobbies.

Be resolutely and faithfully what you are; be humbly what you aspire to be.

Politeness is a sign of dignity not subservience.

E-mail has some magical ability to turn off the politeness gene in a human being.

For a host, above all, must be kind to his guests.