If those who are the enemies of innocent amusements had the direction of the world, they would take away the spring, and youth, the former from the year, the latter from human life.

Most people of action are inclined to fatalism and most of thought believe in providence.

If we could but paint with the hand what we see with the eye.

To promote laughter without joining in it greatly heightens the effect.

Behind every great fortune there is a crime.

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.

When women love us, they forgive us everything, even our crimes; when they do not love us, they give us credit for nothing, not even out virtues.

To kill a relative of whom you are tired is something. But to inherit his property afterwards, that is genuine pleasure.

Nature makes only dumb animals. We owe the fools to society.

Passion is universal humanity. Without it religion, history, romance and art would be useless.