“Very good laws may be ill timed.”

Certain kinds of foolishness are such that a greater foolishness would be better.

The majority of men are more capable of great actions than of good ones.

The life of man is but a succession of vain hopes and groundless fears.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

No kingdom has shed more blood than the kingdom of Christ.

Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance… the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason.

The incomparable stupidity of life teaches us to love our parents; divine philosophy teaches us to forgive them.

Man is a social animal formed to please in society.

Sometimes a man who deserves to be looked upon because he is a fool is despised only because he is a lawyer.

The laws do not take upon them to punish any other than overt acts.

Those who have few affairs to attend to are great speakers. The less men think, the more they talk.

As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.

Mediocrity is a hand-rail.

Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.

When a government lasts a long while, it deteriorates by insensible degrees. Republics end through luxury, monarchies through poverty.

It is clear that in a monarchy, where he who commands the exceution of the laws generally thinks himself above them, there is lessneed of virtue than in a popular government, where the person entrusted with the execution of the laws is sensible of his being subject to their direction.

One person I have to make good: Myself. But my duty to my neighbor is much more nearly expressed by saying that I have to make him happy if I may.

For us in Russia communism is a dead dog. For many people in the West, it is still a living lion.

For every discouragement has been allowed to come to us in order that through it we may be cast in utter helplessness at the Saviour’s feet.

Your family immigrated to this country – whether they came over on the Mayflower or whether they came over on a raft last year.

We may not know who is craft beer but we sure as hell will know what is craft beer by who isn’t.

We may switch presidents, but we`re just going to switch legs and keep on marching.

Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test.

It may be said that his wit shines at the expense of his memory.