The Success Of Most Things

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.

In Vain Do We Seek Tranquility In The Desert; Temptations Are Always With Us; Our Passions, Represented By The Demons, Never Let Us Alone: Those Monsters Created By The Heart, Those Illusions Produced By The Mind, Those Vain Specters That Are Our Errors And Our Lies Always Appear Before Us To Seduce Us; They Attack Us Even In Our Fasting Or Our Mortifications, In Other Words, In Our Very Strength.

To Succeed In The World We Must Look Foolish But Be Wise.

It Is Requisite The Government Be So Constituted As One Man Need Not Be Afraid Of Another.

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.