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The passions often engender their contraries; avarice sometimes produces prodigality, and prodigality avarice; we are often resolute from weakness, and daring from timidity.

Whatever pains we may take to disguise our passions under the appearances of piety and honor, they always discover themselves through these veils.

Our self-love endures with greater impatience the condemnation of our tastes, than of our opinions.

Men are not only prone to lose the remembrance of benefits and of injuries; they even hate those who have obliged them, and cease to hate those who have grievously injured them. The constant study to recompense good and avenge evil appears to them a slavery, to which they feel it difficult to submit.

The clemency of princes is often only a