“That anyone who possesses power has a tendency to abuse it is an eternal truth. They tend to go as far as the barriers will allow.”

There is no one, says another, whom fortune does not visit once in his life; but when she does not find him ready to receive her, she walks in at the door, and flies out at the window.

Honor is unknown in despotic states.

Honor sets all the parts of the body politic in motion, and by its very action connects them; thus each individual advances the public good, while he only thinks of promoting his own interest.

The mood and temper of the public in regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of the civilisation of any country.

There are bad examples which are worse than crimes; and more states have perished from the violation of morality than from the violation of law.

What orators lack in depth they make up for in length.

Law should be like death, which spares no one.

Wherever I find envy I take a pleasure in provoking it: I always praise before an envious man those who make him grow pale.

There should be weeping at a man’s birth, not at his death.

When the body of the people is possessed of the supreme power, it is called a democracy.

Raillery is a mode of speaking in favor of one’s wit at the expense of one’s better nature.

I have read descriptions of Paradise that would make any sensible person stop wanting to go there.

It is requisite the government be so constituted as one man need not be afraid of another.

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it; he goes on till he is pulled up by some limits. Who would say it! virtue even has need of limits.

Democracy is corrupted not only when the spirit of equality is corrupted, but likewise when they fall into a spirit of extreme equality.

Slowness is frequently the cause of much greater slowness.

There is a tendency at every important but difficult crossroad to pretend that it’s not really there.

The most dangerous error is failure to recognize our own tendency to error.

My tendency is to be the guy in the back, even though I often end up being the guy in the front.