“Nothing is so oppressive as a secret: women find it difficult to keep one long; and I know a goodly number of men who are women in this regard.”

Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.

Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go.

In short, luck’s always to blame.

The ruins of a house may be repaired; why cannot those of the face?

Our condition never satisfies us; the present is always the worst. Though Jupiter should grant his request to each, we should continue to importune him.

Everyone has his faults which he continually repeats: neither fear nor shame can cure them.

No favor can win gratitude from a cat.

Too many expedients may spoil an affair.

Sensible people find nothing useless.

It is said, that the thing you possess is worth more than two you may have in the future. The one is sure and the other is not.

Dressed in the lion’s skin, the ass spread terror far and wide.

There is no road of flowers leading to glory.

We risk all in being too greedy.

Silent people are dangerous; others are not so.

Better to suffer than to die.

To hell with pleasure that’s haunted by fear.

You know that you know nothing. Find out that knowledge.

Death in itself is nothing; but we fear to be we know not what, we know not where.

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

What, start at this! when sixty years have spread. Their grey experience o’er thy hoary head? Is this the all observing age could gain? Or hast thou known the world so long in vain?

My heavens! I’ve been talking prose for the last forty years without knowing it.

There is a pleasure in being mad, which none but madmen know.

Learning to cultivate an awareness of the known and unknown within one’s being often leads to a healthier and more realistic sense of self.

Confidence is the feeling we have before knowing all the facts.