We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There is a kind of elevation which does not depend on fortune; it is a certain air which distinguishes us, and seems to destine us for great things;... →
We may seem great in an employment below our worth, but we very often look little in one that is too big for us.
It is not enough to have great qualities; We should also have the management of them.
What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.
Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others.
To know how to hide one's ability is great skill.
Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than others, but only those who have greater designs.
Though men are apt to flatter and exalt themselves with their great achievements, yet these are, in truth, very often owing not so much to design as... →
A great many men's gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter.