,,reflections2 ,,or ,,sentences ,,and   
,,moral ,,maxims  ,by ,francois ,duc ,de
 ,la ,rochefoucauld1 ,prince de         
,marsillac   ,translated from the       
,editions of #afgh and #ahbg with       
introduction1 notes1 and some account of
 the author and his times4  ,by ,j4 ,w4 
,willis ,bund1 ,m4,a4 ,,ll4,b and ,j4   
,hain ,friswell  ,simpson ,low1 ,son1   
and ,marston1 #ahh1 ,fleet ,street4     
#ahga4   ,,transcribers ,,notes3        
spelling variants are preserved 7e4g4   
labour instead of labor1 criticise      
instead of criticize1 etc472 the        
translators' comments are in square     
brackets 444 as they are in the text2   
footnotes are indicated by 99 and appear
 immediately following the passage      
containing the note 7in the text they   
appear at the bottom of the page72 and1 
finally1 corrections and addenda are in 
curly brackets 4444    ,,rochefoucauld  
,as ,rochefoucauld his maxims drew ,from
 ,nature--,i believe them true4 ,they   
argue no corrupted mind ,in him2 the    

fault is in mankind4--,swift4  ,les     
,maximes de la ,rochefoucauld sont des  
proverbs des gens                       
d'esprit4--,montesquieu4  ,maxims are   
the condensed good sense of             
nations4--,sir ,j4 ,mackintosh4         
,translators should not work alone2 for 
good ,et ,propria ,verba do not always  
occur to one mind4--,luther's ,table    
,talk1 iii4    ,,contents               
,preface 7translator's7                 
,introduction 7translator's7            
,reflections and ,moral ,maxims         
,first ,supplement      ,second         
,supplement      ,third ,supplement     
,reflections on ,various ,subjects      
,index     ,preface4   ,translators'    
,some apology must be made for an       
attempt to translate the untranslatable4
 ,notwithstanding there are no less than
 eight ,english translations of ,la     
,rochefoucauld1 hardly any are readable1
 none are free from faults1 and all fail
 more or less to convey the author's    
meaning4 ,though so often translated1   

there is not a complete ,english edition
 of the ,maxims and ,reflections4 ,all  
the translations are confined           
exclusively to the ,maxims1 none include
 the ,reflections4 ,this may be         
accounted for1 from the fact that most  
of the translations are taken from the  
old editions of the ,maxims1 in which   
the ,reflections do not appear4 ,until  
,m4 ,suard devoted his attention to the 
text of ,rochefoucauld1 the various     
editions were but reprints of the       
preceding ones1 without any regard to   
the alterations made by the author in   
the later editions published during his 
life-time4 ,so much was this the case1  
that ,maxims which had been rejected by 
,rochefoucauld in his last edition1 were
 still retained in the body of the work4
 ,to give but one example1 the          
celebrated ,maxim as to the misfortunes 
of our friends1 was omitted in the last 
edition of the book1 published in       
,rochefoucauld's life-time1 yet in every
 ,english edition this ,maxim appears in

 the body of the work4  ,m4 ,aime       
,martin in #ahbg published an edition of
 the ,maxims and ,reflections which has 
ever since been the standard text of    
,rochefoucauld in ,france4 ,the ,maxims 
are printed from the edition of #afgh1  
the last published during the author's  
life1 and the last which received his   
corrections4 ,to this edition were added
 two ,supplements2 the first containing 
the ,maxims which had appeared in the   
editions of #affe1 #afff1 and #afge1 and
 which were afterwards omitted2 the     
second1 some additional ,maxims found   
among various of the author's           
manuscripts in the ,royal ,library at   
,paris4 ,and a ,series of ,reflections  
which had been previously published in a
 work called ,receuil de pieces         
d'histoire et de litterature4 ,paris1   
#agca4 ,they were first published with  
the ,maxims in an edition by ,gabriel   
,brotier4  ,in an edition of            
,rochefoucauld entitled ,reflexions1 ou 
,sentences et ,maximes ,morales1        

augmentees de plus deux cent nouvelles  
,maximes et ,maximes et ,pensees        
diverses suivant les copies ,imprimees a
 ,paris1 chez ,claude ,barbin1 et ,matre
 ,cramoisy #afib199 some fifty ,maxims  
were added1 ascribed by the editor to   
,rochefoucauld1 and as his family       
allowed them to be published under his  
name1 it seems probable they were       
genuine4 ,these fifty form the third    
supplement to this book4       99,in all
 the ,french editions this book is      
spoken of as      published in #afic4   
,the only copy ,i have seen is in the   
,cambridge ,university ,library1 #dg1   
#af1 #ha1 and is called      ,reflexions
 ,morales4   ,the apology for the       
present edition of ,rochefoucauld must  
therefore be twofold3 firstly1 that it  
is an attempt to give the public a      
complete ,english edition of            
,rochefoucauld's works as a moralist4   
,the body of the work comprises the     
,maxims as the author finally left them1
 the first supplement1 those published  

in former editions1 and rejected by the 
author in the later2 the second1 the    
unpublished ,maxims taken from the      
author's correspondence and manuscripts1
 and the third1 the ,maxims first       
published in #afib4 ,while the          
,reflections1 in which the thoughts in  
the ,maxims are extended and elaborated1
 now appear in ,english for the first   
time4 ,and secondly1 that it is an      
attempt 7to quote the preface of the    
edition of #agdi7 to do the ,duc de la  
,rochefoucauld the justice to make him  
speak ,english4     ,introduction       
,translators' ,the description of the   
ancien regime in ,france1 a despotism   
tempered by epigrams1 like most         
epigrammatic sentences1 contains some   
truth1 with much fiction4 ,the society  
of the last half of the seventeenth1 and
 the whole of the eighteenth centuries1 
was doubtless greatly influenced by the 
precise and terse mode in which the     
popular writers of that date expressed  
their thoughts4 ,to a people naturally  

inclined to think that every possible   
view1 every conceivable argument1 upon a
 question is included in a short        
aphorism1 a shrug1 and the word voila1  
truths expressed in condensed sentences 
must always have a peculiar charm4 ,it  
is1 perhaps1 from this love of epigram1 
that we find so many eminent ,french    
writers of maxims4 ,pascal1 ,de ,retz1  
,la ,rochefoucauld1 ,la ,bruyere1       
,montesquieu1 and ,vauvenargues1 each   
contributed to the rich stock of ,french
 epigrams4 ,no other country can show   
such a list of brilliant writers--in    
,england certainly we cannot4 ,our most 
celebrated1 ,lord ,bacon1 has1 by his   
other works1 so surpassed his maxims1   
that their fame is1 to a great measure1 
obscured4 ,the only ,englishman who     
could have rivalled ,la ,rochefoucauld  
or ,la ,bruyere was the ,earl of        
,chesterfield1 and he only could have   
done so from his very intimate connexion
 with ,france2 but unfortunately his    
brilliant genius was spent in the       

impossible task of trying to refine a   
boorish young ,briton1 in cutting blocks
 with a razor4  ,of all the ,french     
epigrammatic writers ,la ,rochefoucauld 
is at once the most widely known1 and   
the most distinguished4 ,voltaire1 whose
 opinion on the century of ,louis ,,xiv4
 is entitled to the greatest weight1    
says1 ,one of the works that most       
largely contributed to form the taste of
 the nation1 and to diffuse a spirit of 
justice and precision1 is the collection
 of maxims1 by ,francois ,duc de la     
,rochefoucauld4  ,this ,francois1 the   
second ,duc de la ,rochefoucauld1       
,prince de ,marsillac1 the author of the
 maxims1 was one of the most illustrious
 members of the most illustrious        
families among the ,french noblesse4    
,descended from the ancient ,dukes of   
,guienne1 the founder of the ,family    
,fulk or ,foucauld1 a younger branch of 
the ,house of ,lusignan1 was at the     
commencement of the eleventh century the
 ,seigneur of a small town1 ,la ,roche1 

in the ,angounois4 ,our chief knowledge 
of this feudal lord is drawn from the   
monkish chronicles4 ,as the benefactor  
of the various abbeys and monasteries in
 his province1 he is naturally spoken of
 by them in terms of eulogy1 and in the 
charter of one of the abbeys of         
,angouleme he is called1 vir            
nobilissimus ,fulcaldus4 ,his           
territorial power enabled him to adopt  
what was then1 as is still in ,scotland1
 a common custom1 to prefix the name of 
his estate to his surname1 and thus to  
create and transmit to his descendants  
the illustrious surname of ,la          
,rochefoucauld4  ,from that time until  
that great crisis in the history of the 
,french aristocracy1 the ,revolution of 
#aghi1 the family of ,la ,rochefoucauld 
have been1 if not first1 in the very    
first line of that most illustrious     
body4 ,one ,seigneur served under       
,philip ,augustus against ,richard      
,coeur de ,lion1 and was made prisoner  
at the battle of ,gisors4 ,the eighth   

,seigneur ,guy performed a great tilt at
 ,bordeaux1 attended 7according to      
,froissart7 to the ,lists by some two   
hundred of his kindred and relations4   
,the sixteenth ,seigneur ,francais was  
chamberlain to ,charles ,,viii4 and     
,louis ,,xii41 and stood at the font as 
sponsor1 giving his name to that last   
light of ,french chivalry1 ,francis ,i4 
,in #aeae he was created a baron1 and   
was afterwards advanced to a count1 on  
account of his great service to ,francis
 and his predecessors4  ,the second     
count pushed the family fortune still   
further by obtaining a patent as the    
,prince de ,marsillac4 ,his widow1 ,anne
 de ,polignac1 entertained ,charles ,v4 
at the family chateau at ,verteuil1 in  
so princely a manner that on leaving    
,charles observed1 ,he had never entered
 a house so redolent of high virtue1    
uprightness1 and lordliness as that     
mansion4  ,the third count1 after       
serving with distinction under the ,duke
 of ,guise against the ,spaniards1 was  

made prisoner at ,st4 ,quintin1 and only
 regained his liberty to fall a victim  
to the bloody infamy of ,st4            
,bartholomew4 ,his son1 the fourth      
count1 saved with difficulty from that  
massacre1 after serving with distinction
 in the religious wars1 was taken       
prisoner in a skirmish at ,st4 ,yriex la
 ,perche1 and murdered by the ,leaguers 
in cold blood4  ,the fifth count1 one of
 the ministers of ,louis ,,xiii41 after 
fighting against the ,english and       
,buckingham at the ,ile de ,re1 was     
created a duke4 ,his son ,francis1 the  
second duke1 by his writings has made   
the family name a household word4  ,the 
third duke fought in many of the earlier
 campaigns of ,louis ,,xiv4 at ,torcy1  
,lille1 ,cambray1 and was dangerously   
wounded at the passage of the ,rhine4   
,from his bravery he rose to high favour
 at ,court1 and was appointed ,master of
 the ,horse 7,grand ,veneur7 and ,lord  
,chamberlain4 ,his son1 the fourth duke1
 commanded the regiment of ,navarre1 and

 took part in storming the village of   
,neerwinden on the day when ,william    
,,iii4 was defeated at ,landen4 ,he was 
afterwards created ,duc de la           
,rochequyon and ,marquis de ,liancourt4 
,the fifth duke1 banished from ,court by
 ,louis ,,xv41 became the friend of the 
philosopher ,voltaire4  ,the sixth duke1
 the friend of ,condorcet1 was the last 
of the long line of noble lords who bore
 that distinguished name4 ,in those     
terrible days of ,september1 #agib1 when
 the ,french people were proclaiming    
universal humanity1 the duke was seized 
as an aristocrat by the mob at ,gisors  
and put to death behind his own         
carriage1 in which sat his mother and   
his wife1 at the very place where1 some 
six centuries previously1 his ancestor  
had been taken prisoner in a fair fight4
 ,a modern writer has spoken of this    
murder as an admirable reprisal upon the
 grandson for the writings and conduct  
of the grandfather4 ,but ,m4 ,sainte    
,beuve observes as to this1 he can see  

nothing admirable in the death of the   
duke1 and if it proves anything1 it is  
only that the grandfather was not so    
wrong in his judgment of men as is      
usually supposed4  ,francis1 the author1
 was born on the #aeth ,december #afae4 
,m4 ,sainte ,beuve divides his life into
 four periods1 first1 from his birth    
till he was thirty-five1 when he became 
mixed up in the war of the ,fronde2 the 
second period1 during the progress of   
that war2 the third1 the twelve years   
that followed1 while he recovered from  
his wounds1 and wrote his maxims during 
his retirement from society2 and the    
last from that time till his death4  ,in
 the same way that ,herodotus calls each
 book of his history by the name of one 
of the muses1 so each of these four     
periods of ,la ,rochefoucauld's life may
 be associated with the name of a woman 
who was for the time his ruling passion4
 ,these four ladies are the ,duchesse de
 ,chevreuse1 the ,duchesse de           
,longueville1 ,madame de ,sable1 and    

,madame de ,la ,fayette4  ,la           
,rochefoucauld's early education was    
neglected2 his father1 occupied in the  
affairs of state1 either had not1 or did
 not devote any time to his education4  
,his natural talents and his habits of  
observation soon1 however1 supplied all 
deficiencies4 ,by birth and station     
placed in the best society of the       
,french ,court1 he soon became a most   
finished courtier4 ,knowing how         
precarious ,court favour then was1 his  
father1 when young ,rochefoucauld was   
only nine years old1 sent him into the  
army4 ,he was subsequently attached to  
the regiment of ,auvergne4 ,though but  
sixteen he was present1 and took part in
 the military operations at the siege of
 ,cassel4 ,the ,court of ,louis ,,xiii4 
was then ruled imperiously by           
,richelieu4 ,the ,duke de la            
,rochefoucauld was strongly opposed to  
the ,cardinal's party4 ,by joining in   
the plots of ,gaston of ,orleans1 he    
gave ,richelieu an opportunity of       

ridding ,paris of his opposition4 ,when 
those plots were discovered1 the ,duke  
was sent into a sort of banishment to   
,blois4 ,his son1 who was then at ,court
 with him1 was1 upon the pretext of a   
liaison with ,mdlle4 d',hautefort1 one  
of the ladies in waiting on the ,queen  
7,anne of ,austria71 but in reality to  
prevent the ,duke learning what was     
passing at ,paris1 sent with his father4
 ,the result of the exile was           
,rochefoucauld's marriage4 ,with the    
exception that his wife's name was      
,mdlle4 ,vivonne1 and that she was the  
mother of five sons and three daughters1
 nothing is known of her4 ,while        
,rochefoucauld and his father were at   
,blois1 the ,duchesse de ,chevreuse1 one
 of the beauties of the ,court1 and the 
mistress of ,louis1 was banished to     
,tours4 ,she and ,rochefoucauld met1 and
 soon became intimate1 and for a time   
she was destined to be the one motive of
 his actions4 ,the ,duchesse was engaged
 in a correspondence with the ,court of 

,spain and the ,queen4 ,into this plot  
,rochefoucauld threw himself with all   
his energy2 his connexion with the      
,queen brought him back to his old love 
,mdlle4 d',hautefort1 and led him to her
 party1 which he afterwards followed4   
,the course he took shut him off from   
all chance of ,court favour4 ,the ,king 
regarded him with coldness1 the         
,cardinal with irritation4 ,although the
 ,bastile and the scaffold1 the fate of 
,chalais and ,montmorency1 were before  
his eyes1 they failed to deter him from 
plotting4 ,he was about twenty-three2   
returning to ,paris1 he warmly sided    
with the ,queen4 ,he says in his        
,memoirs that the only persons she could
 then trust were himself and ,mdlle4    
d',hautefort1 and it was proposed he    
should take both of them from ,paris to 
,brussels4 ,into this plan he entered   
with all his youthful indiscretion1 it  
being for several reasons the very one  
he would wish to adopt1 as it would     
strengthen his influence with ,anne of  

,austria1 place ,richelieu and his      
master in an uncomfortable position1 and
 save ,mdlle4 d',hautefort from the     
attentions the ,king was showing her4   
,but ,richelieu of course discovered    
this plot1 and ,rochefoucauld was1 of   
course1 sent to the ,bastile4 ,he was   
liberated after a week's imprisonment1  
but banished to his chateau at          
,verteuil4  ,the reason for this        
clemency was that the ,cardinal desired 
to win ,rochefoucauld from the ,queen's 
party4 ,a command in the army was       
offered to him1 but by the ,queen's     
orders refused4  ,for some three years  
,rochefoucauld remained at ,verteuil1   
waiting the time for his reckoning with 
,richelieu2 speculating on the ,king's  
death1 and the favours he would then    
receive from the ,queen4 ,during this   
period he was more or less engaged in   
plotting against his enemy the          
,cardinal1 and hatching treason with    
,cinq ,mars and ,de ,thou4  ,m4 ,sainte 
,beuve says1 that unless we study this  

first part of ,rochefoucauld's life1 we 
shall never understand his maxims4 ,the 
bitter disappointment of the passionate 
love1 the high hopes then formed1 the   
deceit and treachery then witnessed1    
furnished the real key to their meaning4
 ,the cutting cynicism of the morality  
was built on the ruins of that          
chivalrous ambition and romantic        
affection4 ,he saw his friend ,cinq     
,mars sent to the scaffold1 himself     
betrayed by men whom he had trusted1 and
 the only reason he could assign for    
these actions was intense selfishness4  
,meanwhile1 ,richelieu died4            
,rochefoucauld returned to ,court1 and  
found ,anne of ,austria regent1 and     
,mazarin minister4 ,the ,queen's former 
friends flocked there in numbers1       
expecting that now their time of        
prosperity had come4 ,they were bitterly
 disappointed4 ,mazarin relied on hope  
instead of gratitude1 to keep the       
,queen's adherents on his side4 ,the    
most that any received were promises    

that were never performed4 ,in after    
years1 doubtless1 ,rochefoucauld's      
recollection of his disappointment led  
him to write the maxim3 ,we promise     
according to our hopes1 we perform      
according to our fears4 ,but he was not 
even to receive promises2 he asked for  
the ,governorship of ,havre1 which was  
then vacant4 ,he was flatly refused4    
,disappointment gave rise to anger1 and 
uniting with his old flame1 the         
,duchesse de ,chevreuse1 who had        
received the same treatment1 and with   
the ,duke of ,beaufort1 they formed a   
conspiracy against the government4 ,the 
plot was1 of course1 discovered and     
crushed4 ,beaufort was arrested1 the    
,duchesse banished4 ,irritated and      
disgusted1 ,rochefoucauld went with the 
,duc d',enghein1 who was then joining   
the army1 on a campaign1 and here he    
found the one love of his life1 the     
,duke's sister1 ,mdme4 de ,longueville4 
,this lady1 young1 beautiful1 and       
accomplished1 obtained a great          

ascendancy over ,rochefoucauld1 and was 
the cause of his taking the side of     
,conde in the subsequent civil war4     
,rochefoucauld did not stay long with   
the army4 ,he was badly wounded at the  
siege of ,mardik1 and returned from     
thence to ,paris4 ,on recovering from   
his wounds1 the war of the ,fronde broke
 out4 ,this war is said to have been    
most ridiculous1 as being carried on    
without a definite object1 a plan1 or a 
leader4 ,but this description is hardly 
correct2 it was the struggle of the     
,french nobility against the rule of the
 ,court2 an attempt1 the final attempt1 
to recover their lost influence over the
 state1 and to save themselves from     
sinking under the rule of cardinals and 
priests4  ,with the general history of  
that war we have nothing to do2 it is   
far too complicated and too confused to 
be stated here4 ,the memoirs of         
,rochefoucauld and ,de ,retz will give  
the details to those who desire to trace
 the contests of the factions--the      

course of the intrigues4 ,we may confine
 ourselves to its progress so far as it 
relates to the ,duc de la               
,rochefoucauld4  ,on the ,cardinal      
causing the ,princes de ,conde and      
,conti1 and the ,duc de ,longueville1 to
 be arrested1 ,rochefoucauld and the    
,duchess fled into ,normandy4 ,leaving  
her at ,dieppe1 he went into ,poitou1 of
 which province he had some years       
previously bought the post of governor4 
,he was there joined by the ,duc de     
,bouillon1 and he and the ,duke marched 
to1 and occupied ,bordeaux4 ,cardinal   
,mazarin and ,marechal de la ,meilleraie
 advanced in force on ,bordeaux1 and    
attacked the town4 ,a bloody battle     
followed4 ,rochefoucauld defended the   
town with the greatest bravery1 and     
repulsed the ,cardinal4 ,notwithstanding
 the repulse1 the burghers of ,bordeaux 
were anxious to make peace1 and save the
 city from destruction4 ,the ,parliament
 of ,bordeaux compelled ,rochefoucauld  
to surrender4 ,he did so1 and returned  

nominally to ,poitou1 but in reality in 
secret to ,paris4  ,there he found the  
,queen engaged in trying to maintain her
 position by playing off the rival      
parties of the ,prince ,conde and the   
,cardinal ,de ,retz against each other4 
,rochefoucauld eagerly espoused his old 
party--that of ,conde4 ,in ,august1     
#afea1 the contending parties met in the
 ,hall of the ,parliament of ,paris1 and
 it was with great difficulty they were 
prevented from coming to blows even     
there4 ,it is even said that            
,rochefoucauld had ordered his followers
 to murder ,de ,retz4  ,rochefoucauld   
was soon to undergo a bitter            
disappointment4 ,while occupied with    
party strife and faction in ,paris1     
,madame de ,chevreuse left him1 and     
formed an alliance with the ,duc de     
,nemours4 ,rochefoucauld still loved    
her4 ,it was1 probably1 thinking of this
 that he afterwards wrote1 ,jealousy is 
born with love1 but does not die with   
it4 ,he endeavoured to get ,madame de   

,chatillon1 the old mistress of the ,duc
 de ,nemours1 reinstated in favour1 but 
in this he did not succeed4 ,the ,duc de
 ,nemours was soon after killed in a    
duel4 ,the war went on1 and after       
several indecisive skirmishes1 the      
decisive battle was fought at ,paris1 in
 the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine1 where the 
,parisians first learnt the use or the  
abuse of their favourite defence1 the   
barricade4 ,in this battle1             
,rochefoucauld behaved with great       
bravery4 ,he was wounded in the head1 a 
wound which for a time deprived him of  
his sight4 ,before he recovered1 the war
 was over1 ,louis ,,xiv4 had attained   
his majority1 the gold of ,mazarin1 the 
arms of ,turenne1 had been successful1  
the ,french nobility were vanquished1   
the court supremacy established4  ,this 
completed ,rochefoucauld's active life4 
,when he recovered his health1 he       
devoted himself to society4 ,madame de  
,sable assumed a hold over him4 ,he     
lived a quiet life1 and occupied himself

 in composing an account of his early   
life1 called his ,memoirs1 and his      
immortal ,maxims4  ,from the time he    
ceased to take part in public life1     
,rochefoucauld's real glory began4      
,having acted the various parts of      
soldier1 politician1 and lover with but 
small success1 he now commenced the part
 of moralist1 by which he is known to   
the world4  ,living in the most         
brilliant society that ,france          
possessed1 famous from his writings1    
distinguished from the part he had taken
 in public affairs1 he formed the centre
 of one of those remarkable ,french     
literary societies1 a society which     
numbered among its members ,la          
,fontaine1 ,racine1 ,boileau4 ,among his
 most attached friends was ,madame de   
,la ,fayette 7the authoress of the      
,princess of ,cleeves71 and this        
friendship continued until his death4   
,he was not1 however1 destined to pass  
away in that gay society without some   
troubles4 ,at the passage of the ,rhine 

in #afgb two of his sons were engaged2  
the one was killed1 the other severely  
wounded4 ,rochefoucauld was much        
affected by this1 but perhaps still more
 by the death of the young ,duc de      
,longueville1 who perished on the same  
occasion4  ,sainte ,beuve says that the 
cynical book and that young life were   
the only fruits of the war of the       
,fronde4 ,madame de ,sevigne1 who was   
with him when he heard the news of the  
death of so much that was dear to him1  
says1 ,i saw his heart laid bare on that
 cruel occasion1 and his courage1 his   
merit1 his tenderness1 and good sense   
surpassed all ,i ever met with4 ,i hold 
his wit and accomplishments as nothing  
in comparison4 ,the combined effect of  
his wounds and the gout caused the last 
years of ,rochefoucauld's life to be    
spent in great pain4 ,madame de         
,sevigne1 who was with him continually  
during his last illness1 speaks of the  
fortitude with which he bore his        
sufferings as something to be admired4  

,writing to her daughter1 she says1     
,believe me1 it is not for nothing he   
has moralised all his life2 he has      
thought so often on his last moments    
that they are nothing new or unfamiliar 
to him4  ,in his last illness1 the great
 moralist was attended by the great     
divine1 ,bossuet4 ,whether that         
matchless eloquence or his own          
philosophic calm had1 in spite of his   
writings1 brought him into the state    
,madame de ,sevigne describes1 we know  
not2 but one1 or both1 contributed to   
his passing away in a manner that did   
not disgrace a ,french noble or a       
,french philosopher4 ,on the #aath      
,march1 #afhj1 he ended his stormy life 
in peace after so much strife1 a loyal  
subject after so much treason4  ,one of 
his friends1 ,madame ,deshoulieres1     
shortly before he died sent him an ode  
on death1 which aptly describes his     
state-- ,oui1 soyez alors plus ferme1   
,que ces vulgaires humains ,qui1 pres de
 leur dernier terme1 ,de vaines terreurs

 sont pleins4 ,en sage que rien         
n'offense1 ,livrez-vous sans resistance 
,a d'inevitables traits2 ,et1 d'une     
demarche egale1 ,passez cette onde fatal
 ,qu'on ne repasse jamais4              
,rochefoucauld left behind him only two 
works1 the one1 ,memoirs of his own     
time1 the other the ,maxims4 ,the first 
described the scenes in which his youth 
had been spent1 and though written in a 
lively style1 and giving faithful       
pictures of the intrigues and the       
scandals of the court during ,louis     
,,xiv4's minority1 yet1 except to the   
historian1 has ceased at the present day
 to be of much interest4 ,it forms1     
perhaps1 the true key to understand the 
special as opposed to general           
application of the maxims4              
,notwithstanding the assertion of       
,bayle1 that there are few people so    
bigoted to antiquity as not to prefer   
the ,memoirs of ,la ,rochefoucauld to   
the ,commentaries of ,caesar1 or the    
statement of ,voltaire1 that the        

,memoirs are universally read and the   
,maxims are learnt by heart1 few persons
 at the present day ever heard of the   
,memoirs1 and the knowledge of most as  
to the ,maxims is confined to that most 
celebrated of all1 though omitted from  
his last edition1 ,there is something in
 the misfortunes of our best friends    
which does not wholly displease us4 ,yet
 it is difficult to assign a cause for  
this2 no book is perhaps oftener        
unwittingly quoted1 none certainly      
oftener unblushingly pillaged2 upon none
 have so many contradictory opinions    
been given4  ,few books1 says ,mr4      
,hallam1 have been more highly extolled1
 or more severely blamed1 than the      
maxims of the ,duke of ,rochefoucauld1  
and that not only here1 but also in     
,france4 ,rousseau speaks of it as1 a   
sad and melancholy book1 though he goes 
on to say it is usually so in youth when
 we do not like seeing man as he is4    
,voltaire says of it1 in the words above
 quoted1 ,one of the works which most   

contributed to form the taste of the    
7,french7 nation1 and to give it a      
spirit of justness and precision1 was   
the collection of the maxims of         
,francois ,duc de la ,rochefoucauld1    
though there is scarcely more than one  
truth running through the book--that    
'self-love is the motive of             
everything'--yet this thought is        
presented under so many varied aspects  
that it is nearly always striking4 ,it  
is not so much a book as it is materials
 for ornamenting a book4 ,this little   
collection was read with avidity1 it    
taught people to think1 and to comprise 
their thoughts in a lively1 precise1 and
 delicate turn of expression4 ,this was 
a merit which1 before him1 no one in    
,europe had attained since the revival  
of letters4  ,dr4 ,johnson speaks of it 
as the only book written by a man of    
fashion1 of which professed authors need
 be jealous4  ,lord ,chesterfield1 in   
his letters to his son1 says1 ,till you 
come to know mankind by your experience1

 ,i know no thing nor no man that can in
 the meantime bring you so well         
acquainted with them as ,le ,duc de la  
,rochefoucauld4 ,his little book of     
maxims1 which ,i would advise you to    
look into for some moments at least     
every day of your life1 is1 ,i fear1 too
 like and too exact a picture of human  
nature4 ,i own it seems to degrade it1  
but yet my experience does not convince 
me that it degrades it unjustly4        
,bishop ,butler1 on the other hand1     
blames the book in no measured terms4   
,there is a strange affectation1 says   
the bishop1 in some people of explaining
 away all particular affection1 and     
representing the whole life as nothing  
but one continued exercise of self-love4
 ,hence arise that surprising confusion 
and perplexity in the ,epicureans of    
old1 ,hobbes1 the author of ',reflexions
 ,morales1' and the whole set of        
writers1 of calling actions interested  
which are done of the most manifest     
known interest1 merely for the          

gratification of a present passion4     
,the judgment the reader will be most   
inclined to adopt will perhaps be either
 that of ,mr4 ,hallam1 ,concise and     
energetic in expression1 reduced to     
those short aphorisms which leave much  
to the reader's acuteness and yet save  
his labour1 not often obscure1 and never
 wearisome1 an evident generalisation of
 long experience1 without pedantry1     
without method1 without deductive       
reasonings1 yet wearing an appearance at
 least of profundity2 they delight the  
intelligent though indolent man of the  
world1 and must be read with some       
admiration by the philosopher 4 4 4 4   
yet they bear witness to the contracted 
observation and the precipitate         
inferences which an intercourse with a  
single class of society scarcely fails  
to generate4 ,or that of ,addison1 who  
speaks of ,rochefoucauld as the great   
philosopher for administering           
consolation to the idle1 the curious1   
and the worthless part of mankind4  ,we 

are fortunately in possession of        
materials such as rarely exist to enable
 us to form a judgment of               
,rochefoucauld's character4 ,we have1   
with a vanity that could only exist in a
 ,frenchman1 a description or portrait  
of himself1 of his own painting1 and one
 of those inimitable living sketches in 
which his great enemy1 ,cardinal ,de    
,retz1 makes all the chief actors in the
 court of the regency of ,anne of       
,austria pass across the stage before   
us4  ,we will first look on the portrait
 ,rochefoucauld has left us of himself3 
,i am1 says he1 of a medium height1     
active1 and well-proportioned4 ,my      
complexion dark1 but uniform1 a high    
forehead2 and of moderate height1 black 
eyes1 small1 deep set1 eyebrows black   
and thick but well placed4 ,i am rather 
embarrassed in talking of my nose1 for  
it is neither flat nor aquiline1 nor    
large2 nor pointed3 but ,i believe1 as  
far as ,i can say1 it is too large than 
too small1 and comes down just a trifle 

too low4 ,i have a large mouth1 lips    
generally red enough1 neither shaped    
well nor badly4 ,i have white teeth1 and
 fairly even4 ,i have been told ,i have 
a little too much chin4 ,i have just    
looked at myself in the glass to        
ascertain the fact1 and ,i do not know  
how to decide4 ,as to the shape of my   
face1 it is either square or oval1 but  
which ,i should find it very difficult  
to say4 ,i have black hair1 which curls 
by nature1 and thick and long enough to 
entitle me to lay claim to a fine head4 
,i have in my countenance somewhat of   
grief and pride1 which gives many people
 an idea ,i despise them1 although ,i am
 not at all given to do so4 ,my gestures
 are very free1 rather inclined to be   
too much so1 for in speaking they make  
me use too much action4 ,such1 candidly1
 ,i believe ,i am in outward appearance1
 and ,i believe it will be found that   
what ,i have said above of myself is not
 far from the real case4 ,i shall use   
the same truthfulness in the remainder  

of my picture1 for ,i have studied      
myself sufficiently to know myself well2
 and ,i will lack neither boldness to   
speak as freely as ,i can of my good    
qualities1 nor sincerity to freely avow 
that ,i have faults4  ,in the first     
place1 to speak of my temper4 ,i am     
melancholy1 and ,i have hardly been seen
 for the last three or four years to    
laugh above three or four times4 ,it    
seems to me that my melancholy would be 
even endurable and pleasant if ,i had   
none but what belonged to me            
constitutionally2 but it arises from so 
many other causes1 fills my imagination 
in such a way1 and possesses my mind so 
strongly that for the greater part of my
 time ,i remain without speaking a word1
 or give no meaning to what ,i say4 ,i  
am extremely reserved to those ,i do not
 know1 and ,i am not very open with the 
greater part of those ,i do4 ,it is a   
fault ,i know well1 and ,i should       
neglect no means to correct myself of   
it2 but as a certain gloomy air ,i have 

tends to make me seem more reserved than
 ,i am in fact1 and as it is not in our 
power to rid ourselves of a bad         
expression that arises from a natural   
conformation of features1 ,i think that 
even when ,i have cured myself          
internally1 externally some bad         
expression will always remain4  ,i have 
ability4 ,i have no hesitation in saying
 it1 as for what purpose should ,i      
pretend otherwise4 ,so great            
circumvention1 and so great             
depreciation1 in speaking of the gifts  
one has1 seems to me to hide a little   
vanity under an apparent modesty1 and   
craftily to try to make others believe  
in greater virtues than are imputed to  
us4 ,on my part ,i am content not to be 
considered better-looking than ,i am1   
nor of a better temper than ,i describe1
 nor more witty and clever than ,i am4  
,once more1 ,i have ability1 but a mind 
spoilt by melancholy1 for though ,i know
 my own language tolerably well1 and    
have a good memory1 a mode of thought   

not particularly confused1 ,i yet have  
so great a mixture of discontent that ,i
 often say what ,i have to say very     
badly4  ,the conversation of gentlemen  
is one of the pleasures that most amuses
 me4 ,i like it to be serious and       
morality to form the substance of it4   
,yet ,i also know how to enjoy it when  
trifling2 and if ,i do not make many    
witty speeches1 it is not because ,i do 
not appreciate the value of trifles well
 said1 and that ,i do not find great    
amusement in that manner of raillery in 
which certain prompt and ready-witted   
persons excel so well4 ,i write well in 
prose2 ,i do well in verse2 and if ,i   
was envious of the glory that springs   
from that quarter1 ,i think with a      
little labour ,i could acquire some     
reputation4 ,i like reading1 in general2
 but that in which one finds something  
to polish the wit and strengthen the    
soul is what ,i like best4 ,but1 above  
all1 ,i have the greatest pleasure in   
reading with an intelligent person1 for 

then we reflect constantly upon what we 
read1 and the observations we make form 
the most pleasant and useful form of    
conversation there is4  ,i am a fair    
critic of the works in verse and prose  
that are shown me2 but perhaps ,i speak 
my opinion with almost too great        
freedom4 ,another fault in me is that ,i
 have sometimes a spirit of delicacy far
 too scrupulous1 and a spirit of        
criticism far too severe4 ,i do not     
dislike an argument1 and ,i often of my 
own free will engage in one2 but ,i     
generally back my opinion with too much 
warmth1 and sometimes1 when the wrong   
side is advocated against me1 from the  
strength of my zeal for reason1 ,i      
become a little unreasonable myself4  ,i
 have virtuous sentiments1 good         
inclinations1 and so strong a desire to 
be a wholly good man that my friend     
cannot afford me a greater pleasure than
 candidly to show me my faults4 ,those  
who know me most intimately1 and those  
who have the goodness sometimes to give 

me the above advice1 know that ,i always
 receive it with all the joy that could 
be expected1 and with all reverence of  
mind that could be desired4  ,i have all
 the passions pretty mildly1 and pretty 
well under control4 ,i am hardly ever   
seen in a rage1 and ,i never hated any  
one4 ,i am not1 however1 incapable of   
avenging myself if ,i have been         
offended1 or if my honour demanded ,i   
should resent an insult put upon me2 on 
the contrary1 ,i feel clear that duty   
would so well discharge the office of   
hatred in me that ,i should follow my   
revenge with even greater keenness than 
other people4  ,ambition does not weary 
me4 ,i fear but few things1 and ,i do   
not fear death in the least4 ,i am but  
little given to pity1 and ,i could wish 
,i was not so at all4 ,though there is  
nothing ,i would not do to comfort an   
afflicted person1 and ,i really believe 
that one should do all one can to show  
great sympathy to him for his           
misfortune1 for miserable people are so 

foolish that this does them the greatest
 good in the world2 yet ,i also hold    
that we should be content with          
expressing sympathy1 and carefully avoid
 having any4 ,it is a passion that is   
wholly worthless in a well-regulated    
mind1 which only serves to weaken the   
heart1 and which should be left to      
ordinary persons1 who1 as they never do 
anything from reason1 have need of      
passions to stimulate their actions4  ,i
 love my friends2 and ,i love them to   
such an extent that ,i would not for a  
moment weigh my interest against theirs4
 ,i condescend to them1 ,i patiently    
endure their bad temper4 ,but1 also1 ,i 
do not make much of their caresses1 and 
,i do not feel great uneasiness in their
 absence4  ,naturally1 ,i have but      
little curiosity about the majority of  
things that stir up curiosity in other  
men4 ,i am very secret1 and ,i have less
 difficulty than most men in holding my 
tongue as to what is told me in         
confidence4 ,i am most particular as to 

my word1 and ,i would never fail1       
whatever might be the consequence1 to do
 what ,i had promised2 and ,i have made 
this an inflexible law during the whole 
of my life4  ,i keep the most           
punctilious civility to women4 ,i do not
 believe ,i have ever said anything     
before them which could cause them      
annoyance4 ,when their intellect is     
cultivated1 ,i prefer their society to  
that of men3 one there finds a mildness 
one does not meet with among ourselves1 
and it seems to me beyond this that they
 express themselves with more neatness1 
and give a more agreeable turn to the   
things they talk about4 ,as for         
flirtation1 ,i formerly indulged in a   
little1 now ,i shall do so no more1     
though ,i am still young4 ,i have       
renounced all flirtation1 and ,i am     
simply astonished that there are still  
so many sensible people who can occupy  
their time with it4  ,i wholly approve  
of real loves2 they indicate greatness  
of soul1 and although1 in the uneasiness

 they give rise to1 there is a something
 contrary to strict wisdom1 they fit in 
so well with the most severe virtue1    
that ,i believe they cannot be censured 
with justice4 ,to me who have known all 
that is fine and grand in the lofty     
aspirations of love1 if ,i ever fall in 
love1 it will assuredly be in love of   
that nature4 ,but in accordance with the
 present turn of my mind1 ,i do not     
believe that the knowledge ,i have of it
 will ever change from my mind to my    
heart4  ,such is his own description of 
himself4 ,let us now turn to the other  
picture1 delineated by the man who was  
his bitterest enemy1 and whom 7we say it
 with regret7 ,rochefoucauld tried to   
murder4  ,cardinal ,de ,retz thus paints
 him3-- ,in ,m4 de la ,rochefoucauld    
there was ever an indescribable         
something4 ,from his infancy he always  
wanted to be mixed up with plots1 at a  
time when he could not understand even  
the smallest interests 7which has indeed
 never been his weak point17 or         

comprehend greater ones1 which in       
another sense has never been his strong 
point4 ,he was never fitted for any     
matter1 and ,i really cannot tell the   
reason4 ,his glance was not sufficiently
 wide1 and he could not take in at once 
all that lay in his sight1 but his good 
sense1 perfect in theories1 combined    
with his gentleness1 his winning ways1  
his pleasing manners1 which are perfect1
 should more than compensate for his    
lack of penetration4 ,he always had a   
natural irresoluteness1 but ,i cannot   
say to what this irresolution is to be  
attributed4 ,it could not arise in him  
from the wealth of his imagination1 for 
that was anything but lively4 ,i cannot 
put it down to the barrenness of his    
judgment1 for1 although he was not      
prompt in action1 he had a good store of
 reason4 ,we see the effects of this    
irresolution1 although we cannot assign 
a cause for it4 ,he was never a general1
 though a great soldier2 never1         
naturally1 a good courtier1 although he 

had always a good idea of being so4 ,he 
was never a good partizan1 although all 
his life engaged in intrigues4 ,that air
 of pride and timidity which your see in
 his private life1 is turned in business
 into an apologetic manner4 ,he always  
believed he had need of it2 and this1   
combined with his ',maxims1' which show 
little faith in virtue1 and his habitual
 custom1 to give up matters with the    
same haste he undertook them1 leads me  
to the conclusion that he would have    
done far better to have known his own   
mind1 and have passed himself off1 as he
 could have done1 for the most polished 
courtier1 the most agreeable man in     
private life that had appeared in his   
century4  ,it is but justice to the     
,cardinal to say1 that the ,duc is not  
painted in such dark colours as we      
should have expected1 judging from what 
we know of the character of ,de ,retz4  
,with his marvellous power of depicting 
character1 a power unrivalled1 except by
 ,st4 ,simon and perhaps by ,lord       

,clarendon1 we should have expected the 
malignity of the priest would have      
stamped the features of his great enemy 
with the impress of infamy1 and not have
 simply made him appear a courtier1     
weak1 insincere1 and nothing more4      
,though rather beyond our subject1 the  
character of ,cardinal de ,retz1 as     
delineated by ,mdme4 ,sevigne1 in one of
 her letters1 will help us to form a    
true conclusion on the different        
characters of the ,duc and the          
,cardinal4 ,she says3-- ,paul de ,gondi 
,cardinal de ,retz possesses great      
elevation of character1 a certain extent
 of intellect1 and more of the          
ostentation than of the true greatness  
of courage4 ,he has an extraordinary    
memory1 more energy than polish in his  
words1 an easy humour1 docility of      
character1 and weakness in submitting to
 the complaints and reproaches of his   
friends1 a little piety1 some           
appearances of religion4 ,he appears    
ambitious without being really so4      

,vanity and those who have guided him1  
have made him undertake great things1   
almost all opposed to his profession4   
,he excited the greatest troubles in the
 ,state without any design of turning   
them to account1 and far from declaring 
himself the enemy of ,cardinal ,mazarin 
with any view of occupying his place1 he
 thought of nothing but making himself  
an object of dread to him1 and          
flattering himself with the false vanity
 of being his rival4 ,he was clever     
enough1 however1 to take advantage of   
the public calamities to get himself    
made ,cardinal4 ,he endured his         
imprisonment with firmness1 and owed his
 liberty solely to his own daring4 ,in  
the obscurity of a life of wandering and
 concealment1 his indolence for many    
years supported him with reputation4 ,he
 preserved the ,archbishopric of ,paris 
against the power of ,cardinal ,mazarin1
 but after the death of that minister1  
he resigned it without knowing what he  
was doing1 and without making use of the

 opportunity to promote the interests of
 himself and his friends4 ,he has taken 
part in several conclaves1 and his      
conduct has always increased his        
reputation4  ,his natural bent is to    
indolence1 nevertheless he labours with 
activity in pressing business1 and      
reposes with indifference when it is    
concluded4 ,he has great presence of    
mind1 and knows so well how to turn it  
to his own advantage on all occasions   
presented him by fortune1 that it would 
seem as if he had foreseen and desired  
them4 ,he loves to narrate1 and seeks to
 dazzle all his listeners indifferently 
by his extraordinary adventures1 and his
 imagination often supplies him with    
more than his memory4 ,the generality of
 his qualities are false1 and what has  
most contributed to his reputation is   
his power of throwing a good light on   
his faults4 ,he is insensible alike to  
hatred and to friendship1 whatever pains
 he may be at to appear taken up with   
the one or the other4 ,he is incapable  

of envy or avarice1 whether from virtue 
or from carelessness4 ,he has borrowed  
more from his friends than a private    
person could ever hope to be able to    
repay2 he has felt the vanity of        
acquiring so much on credit1 and of     
undertaking to discharge it4 ,he has    
neither taste nor refinement2 he is     
amused by everything and pleased by     
nothing4 ,he avoids difficult matters   
with considerable address1 not allowing 
people to penetrate the slight          
acquaintance he has with everything4    
,the retreat he has just made from the  
world is the most brilliant and the most
 unreal action of his life2 it is a     
sacrifice he has made to his pride under
 the pretence of devotion2 he quits the 
court to which he cannot attach himself1
 and retires from a world which is      
retiring from him4  ,the ,maxims were   
first published in #affe1 with a preface
 by ,segrais4 ,this preface was omitted 
in the subsequent editions4 ,the first  
edition contained #caf maxims1 counting 

the last upon death1 which was not      
numbered4 ,the second in #afff contained
 only #ajb2 the third in #afga1 and the 
fourth in #afge1 #dac4 ,in this last    
edition we first meet with the          
introductory maxim1 ,our virtues are    
generally but disguised vices4 ,the     
edition of #afgh1 the fifth1 increased  
the number to #ejd4 ,this was the last  
edition revised by the author1 and      
published in his lifetime4 ,the text of 
that edition has been used for the      
present translation4 ,the next edition1 
the sixth1 was published in #afic1 about
 thirteen years after the author's      
death4 ,this edition included fifty new 
maxims1 attributed by the editor to     
,rochefoucauld4 ,most likely they were  
his writing1 as the fact was never      
denied by his family1 through whose     
permission they were published4 ,they   
form the third supplement to the        
translation4 ,this sixth edition was    
published by ,claude ,barbin1 and the   
,french editions since that time have   

been too numerous to be enumerated4 ,the
 great popularity of the ,maxims is     
perhaps best shown from the numerous    
translations that have been made of     
them4 ,no less than eight ,english      
translations1 or so-called translations1
 have appeared2 one ,american1 a        
,swedish1 and a ,spanish translation1 an
 ,italian imitation1 with parallel      
passages1 and an ,english imitation by  
,hazlitt4 ,the titles of the ,english   
editions are as follows3-- i4 ,seneca   
,unmasked4 ,by ,mrs4 ,aphara ,behn4     
,london1 #afhi4 ,she calls the author   
the ,duke of ,rushfucave4 ii4 ,moral    
,maxims and ,reflections1 in four parts4
 ,by the ,duke de la ,rochefoucauld4    
,now made ,english4 ,london1 #afid4 #ab 
mo4 iii4 ,moral ,maxims and ,reflections
 of the ,duke de la ,rochefoucauld4     
,newly made ,english4 ,london1 #agjf4   
#ab mo4 iv4 ,moral ,maxims of the ,duke 
de la ,rochefoucauld4 ,translated from  
the ,french4 ,with notes4 ,london1      
#agdi4 #ab mo4 v4 ,maxims and ,moral    

,reflections of the ,duke de la         
,rochefoucauld4 ,revised and improved4  
,london1 #agge4 #h vo4 vi4 ,maxims and  
,moral ,reflections of the ,duke de la  
,rochefoucauld4 ,a new edition1 revised 
and improved1 by ,l4 ,d4 ,london1 #agha4
 #h vo4 vii4 ,the ,gentleman's ,library4
 ,la ,rochefoucauld's ,maxims and ,moral
 ,reflections4 ,london1 #ahac4 #ab mo4  
viii4 ,moral ,reflections1 ,sentences1  
and ,maxims of the ,duke de la          
,rochefoucauld1 newly translated from   
the ,french2 with an introduction and   
notes4 ,london1 #ahej4 #af mo4 ix4      
,maxims and ,moral ,reflections of the  
,duke de la ,rochefoucauld3 with a      
,memoir by the ,chevalier de ,chatelain4
 ,london1 #ahfh4 #ab mo4  ,the perusal  
of the ,maxims will suggest to every    
reader to a greater or less degree1 in  
accordance with the extent of his       
reading1 parallel passages1 and similar 
ideas4 ,of ancient writers              
,rochefoucauld most strongly reminds us 
of ,tacitus2 of modern writers1 ,junius 

most strongly reminds us of             
,rochefoucauld4 ,some examples from both
 are given in the notes to this         
translation4 ,it is curious to see how  
the expressions of the bitterest writer 
of ,english political satire to a great 
extent express the same ideas as the    
great ,french satirist of private life4 
,had space permitted the parallel could 
have been drawn very closely1 and much  
of the invective of ,junius traced to   
its source in ,rochefoucauld4  ,one of  
the persons whom ,rochefoucauld         
patronised and protected1 was the great 
,french fabulist1 ,la ,fontaine4 ,this  
patronage was repaid by ,la ,fontaine   
giving1 in one of his fables1 ,l',homme 
et son ,image1 an elaborate defence of  
his patron4 ,after there depicting a man
 who fancied himself one of the most    
lovely in the world1 and who complained 
he always found all mirrors             
untrustworthy1 at last discovered his   
real image reflected in the water4 ,he  
thus applies his fable3-- ,je parle a   

tous3 et cette erreur extreme1 ,est un  
mal que chacun se plait d'entretenir1   
,notre ame1 c'est cet homme amoureux de 
lui meme1 ,tant de miroirs1 ce sont les 
sottises d'autrui4 ,miroirs1 de nos     
defauts les peintres legitimes1 ,et     
quant au canal1 c'est celui ,qui chacun 
sait1 le livre des ,,maximes4  ,it is   
just this3 the book is a mirror in which
 we all see ourselves4 ,this has made it
 so unpopular4 ,it is too true4 ,we     
dislike to be told of our faults1 while 
we only like to be told of our          
neighbour's4 ,notwithstanding           
,rousseau's assertion1 it is young men1 
who1 before they know their own faults  
and only know their neighbours'1 that   
read and thoroughly appreciate          
,rochefoucauld4  ,after so many varied  
opinions he then pleases us more and    
seems far truer than he is in reality1  
it is impossible to give any general    
conclusion of such distinguished writers
 on the subject4 ,each reader will form 
his own opinion of the merits of the    

author and his book4 ,to some1 both will
 seem deserving of the highest praise2  
to others both will seem deserving of   
the highest censure4 ,the truest        
judgment as to the author will be found 
in the remarks of a countryman of his   
own1 as to the book in the remarks of a 
countryman of ours4  ,as to the author1 
,m4 ,sainte ,beuve says3--,c'etait un   
misanthrope poli1 insinuant1 souriant1  
qui precedait de bien peu et preparait  
avec charme l'autre ,,misanthrope4  ,as 
to the book1 ,mr4 ,hallam says3--,among 
the books in ancient and modern times   
which record the conclusions of         
observing men on the moral qualities of 
their fellows1 a high place should be   
reserved for the ,maxims of             
,rochefoucauld4     ,,reflections2 ,,or1
 ,,sentences ,,and ,,moral ,,maxims     
,our virtues are most frequently but    
vices disguised4  ,this epigraph which  
is the key to the system of ,la         
,rochefoucauld1 is found in another form
 as ,no4 #agi of the maxims of the first

 edition1 #affe1 it is omitted from the 
#bnd and #crd1 and reappears for the    
first time in the #dth edition1 in      
#afge1 as at present1 at the head of the
 ,reflections4--,aime ,martin4 ,its best
 answer is arrived at by reversing the  
predicate and the subject1 and you at   
once form a contradictory maxim equally 
true1 our vices are most frequently but 
virtues disguised4   #a4--,what we term 
virtue is often but a mass of various   
actions and divers interests1 which     
fortune1 or our own industry1 manage to 
arrange2 and it is not always from      
valour or from chastity that men are    
brave1 and women chaste4  ,who combats  
bravely is not therefore brave1 ,he     
dreads a death-bed like the meanest     
slave2 ,who reasons wisely is not       
therefore wise1 ,his pride in reasoning1
 not in acting1 lies4 ,pope1 ,moral     
,essays1 ,ep4 i4 line #aae4             
#b4--,self-love is the greatest of      
flatterers4   #c4--,whatever discoveries
 have been made in the region of        

self-love1 there remain many unexplored 
territories there4  ,this is the first  
hint of the system the author tries to  
develope4 ,he wishes to find in vice a  
motive for all our actions1 but this    
does not suffice him2 he is obliged to  
call other passions to the help of his  
system and to confound pride1 vanity1   
interest and egotism with self love4    
,this confusion destroys the unity of   
his principle4--,aime ,martin4          
#d4--,self love is more cunning than the
 most cunning man in the world4         
#e4--,the duration of our passions is no
 more dependant upon us than the        
duration of our life4 ,then what becomes
 of free will8--,aime2 ,martin          
#f4--,passion often renders the most    
clever man a fool1 and even sometimes   
renders the most foolish man clever4    
#g4--;,great and striking actions which 
dazzle the eyes are represented by      
politicians as the effect of great      
designs1 instead of which they are      
commonly caused by the temper and the   

passions4 ,thus the war between         
,augustus and ,anthony1 which is set    
down to the ambition they entertained of
 making themselves masters of the world1
 was probably but an effect of jealousy4
   #h4--,the passions are the only      
advocates which always persuade4 ,they  
are a natural art1 the rules of which   
are infallible2 and the simplest man    
with passion will be more persuasive    
than the most eloquent without4  ,see   
,maxim #bdi which is an illustration of 
this4   #i4--,the passions possess a    
certain injustice and self interest     
which makes it dangerous to follow them1
 and in reality we should distrust them 
even when they appear most trustworthy4 
#aj4--;,in the human heart there is a   
perpetual generation of passions2 so    
that the ruin of one is almost always   
the foundation of another4              
#aa4--,passions often produce their     
contraries3 avarice sometimes leads to  
prodigality1 and prodigality to avarice2
 we are often obstinate through weakness

 and daring though timidity4            
#ab4--,whatever care we take to conceal 
our passions under the appearances of   
piety and honour1 they are always to be 
seen through these veils4  ,the #ast    
edition1 #affe1 preserves the image     
perhaps better--however we may conceal  
our passions under the veil1 etc41 there
 is always some place where they peep   
out4   #ac4--,our self love endures more
 impatiently the condemnation of our    
tastes than of our opinions4            
#ad4--,men are not only prone to forget 
benefits and injuries2 they even hate   
those who have obliged them1 and cease  
to hate those who have injured them4    
,the necessity of revenging an injury or
 of recompensing a benefit seems a      
slavery to which they are unwilling to  
submit4   #ae4--,the clemency of        
,princes is often but policy to win the 
affections of the people4   ,so many are
 the advantages which monarchs gain by  
clemency1 so greatly does it raise their
 fame and endear them to their subjects1

 that it is generally happy for them to 
have an opportunity of displaying       
it4--,montesquieu1 ,esprit ,des ,lois1  
,lib4 ,,vi41 ,c4 #ba4   #af4--,this     
clemency of which they make a merit1    
arises oftentimes from vanity1 sometimes
 from idleness1 oftentimes from fear1   
and almost always from all three        
combined4  ,la ,rochefoucauld is content
 to paint the age in which he lived4    
,here the clemency spoken of is nothing 
more than an expression of the policy of
 ,anne of ,austria4 ,rochefoucauld had  
sacrificed all to her2 even the favour  
of ,cardinal ,richelieu1 but when she   
became regent she bestowed her favours  
upon those she hated2 her friends were  
forgotten4--,aime ,martin4 ,the reader  
will hereby see that the age in which   
the writer lived best interprets his    
maxims4   #ag4--,the moderation of those
 who are happy arises from the calm     
which good fortune bestows upon their   
temper4   #ah4--,moderation is caused by
 the fear of exciting the envy and      

contempt which those merit who are      
intoxicated with their good fortune2 it 
is a vain display of our strength of    
mind1 and in short the moderation of men
 at their greatest height is only a     
desire to appear greater than their     
fortune4   #ai4--,we have all sufficient
 strength to support the misfortunes of 
others4  ,the strongest example of this 
is the passage in ,lucretius1 lib4 ii41 
line ,i3-- ,suave mari magno turbantibus
 aequora ventis ,e terra magnum alterius
 spectare laborem4   #bj4--,the         
constancy of the wise is only the talent
 of concealing the agitation of their   
hearts4  ,thus wisdom is only hypocrisy1
 says a commentator4 ,this definition of
 constancy is a result of maxim #ah4    
#ba4--,those who are condemned to death 
affect sometimes a constancy and        
contempt for death which is only the    
fear of facing it2 so that one may say  
that this constancy and contempt are to 
their mind what the bandage is to their 
eyes4  ,see this thought elaborated in  

maxim #ejd4   #bb4--,philosophy triumphs
 easily over past evils and future      
evils2 but present evils triumph over   
it4   #bc4--;,few people know death1 we 
only endure it1 usually from            
determination1 and even from stupidity  
and custom2 and most men only die       
because they know not how to prevent    
dying4   #bd4--,when great men permit   
themselves to be cast down by the       
continuance of misfortune1 they show us 
that they were only sustained by        
ambition1 and not by their mind2 so that
 ,,plus a great vanity1 heroes are made 
like other men4  ,both these maxims have
 been rewritten and made conciser by the
 author2 the variations are not worth   
quoting4   #be4--,we need greater       
virtues to sustain good than evil       
fortune4  ,prosperity doth best discover
 vice1 but adversity doth best discover 
virtue4--,lord ,bacon1 ,essays1 7#afbe71
 ,of ,adversity4  ,the quotation wrongly
 had does for doth4   #bf4--,neither the
 sun nor death can be looked at without 

winking4   #bg4--,people are often vain 
of their passions1 even of the worst1   
but envy is a passion so timid and      
shame-faced that no one ever dare avow  
her4   #bh4--;,jealousy is in a manner  
just and reasonable1 as it tends to     
preserve a good which belongs1 or which 
we believe belongs to us1 on the other  
hand envy is a fury which cannot endure 
the happiness of others4   #bi4--,the   
evil that we do does not attract to us  
so much persecution and hatred as our   
good qualities4   #cj4--,we have more   
strength than will2 and it is often     
merely for an excuse we say things are  
impossible4   #ca4--;,if we had no      
faults we should not take so much       
pleasure in noting those of others4     
#cb4--;,jealousy lives upon doubt2 and  
comes to an end or becomes a fury as    
soon as it passes from doubt to         
certainty4   #cc4--,pride indemnifies   
itself and loses nothing even when it   
casts away vanity4  ,see maxim #dej1    
where the author states1 what we take   

from our other faults we add to our     
pride4   #cd4--;,if we had no pride we  
should not complain of that of others4  
,the proud are ever most provoked by    
pride4--,cowper1 ,conversation #afj4    
#ce4--,pride is much the same in all    
men1 the only difference is the method  
and manner of showing it4  ,pride       
bestowed on all a common friend4--,pope1
 ,essay ,on ,man1 ,ep4 ii41 line #bgc4  
#cf4--;,it would seem that nature1 which
 has so wisely ordered the organs of our
 body for our happiness1 has also given 
us pride to spare us the mortification  
of knowing our imperfections4           
#cg4--,pride has a larger part than     
goodness in our remonstrances with those
 who commit faults1 and we reprove them 
not so much to correct as to persuade   
them that we ourselves are free from    
faults4   #ch4--,we promise according to
 our hopes2 we perform according to our 
fears4  ,the reason why the ,cardinal   
7,mazarin7 deferred so long to grant the
 favours he had promised1 was because he

 was persuaded that hope was much more  
capable of keeping men to their duty    
than gratitude4--,fragments             
,historiques4 ,racine4                  
#ci4--;,interest speaks all sorts of    
tongues and plays all sorts of          
characters2 even that of                
disinterestedness4   #dj4--;,interest   
blinds some and makes some see4         
#da4--,those who apply themselves too   
closely to little things often become   
incapable of great things4   #db4--,we  
have not enough strength to follow all  
our reason4   #dc4--;,a man often       
believes himself leader when he is led2 
as his mind endeavours to reach one     
goal1 his heart insensibly drags him    
towards another4   #dd4--,strength and  
weakness of mind are mis-named2 they are
 really only the good or happy          
arrangement of our bodily organs4       
#de4--,the caprice of our temper is even
 more whimsical than that of ,fortune4  
#df4--,the attachment or indifference   
which philosophers have shown to life is

 only the style of their self love1     
about which we can no more dispute than 
of that of the palate or of the choice  
of colours4   #dg4--,our temper sets a  
price upon every gift that we receive   
from fortune4   #dh4--;,happiness is in 
the taste1 and not in the things        
themselves2 we are happy from possessing
 what we like1 not from possessing what 
others like4   #di4--,we are never so   
happy or so unhappy as we suppose4      
#ej4--,those who think they have merit  
persuade themselves that they are       
honoured by being unhappy1 in order to  
persuade others and themselves that they
 are worthy to be the butt of fortune4  
,ambition has been so strong as to make 
very miserable men take comfort that    
they were supreme in misery2 and certain
 it is1 that where we cannot distinguish
 ourselves by something excellent1 we   
begin to take a complacency in some     
singular infirmities1 follies1 or       
defects of one kind or other4 --,burke1 
,on ,the ,sublime ,and ,beautiful1      

7#agef71 ,part ,i1 ,sect4 ,,xvii4  ,the 
translators' incorrectly cite ,speech   
,on ,conciliation ,with ,america4 ,also1
 ,burke does not actually write         
,ambition has been4441 he writes ,it has
 been444 when speaking of ambition4     
#ea4--,nothing should so much diminish  
the satisfaction which we feel with     
ourselves as seeing that we disapprove  
at one time of that which we approve of 
at another4   #eb4--,whatever difference
 there appears in our fortunes1 there is
 nevertheless a certain compensation of 
good and evil which renders them equal4 
#ec4--,whatever great advantages nature 
may give1 it is not she alone1 but      
fortune also that makes the hero4       
#ed4--,the contempt of riches in        
philosophers was only a hidden desire to
 avenge their merit upon the injustice  
of fortune1 by despising the very goods 
of which fortune had deprived them2 it  
was a secret to guard themselves against
 the degradation of poverty1 it was a   
back way by which to arrive at that     

distinction which they could not gain by
 riches4  ,it is always easy as well as 
agreeable for the inferior ranks of     
mankind to claim merit from the contempt
 of that pomp and pleasure which fortune
 has placed beyond their reach4 ,the    
virtue of the primitive ,christians1    
like that of the first ,romans1 was very
 frequently guarded by poverty and      
ignorance4--,gibbon1 ,decline ,and      
,fall1 ,chap4 #ae4   #ee4--,the hate of 
favourites is only a love of favour4    
,the envy of ,,not possessing it1       
consoles and softens its regrets by the 
contempt it evinces for those who       
possess it1 and we refuse them our      
homage1 not being able to detract from  
them what attracts that of the rest of  
the world4   #ef4--,to establish        
ourselves in the world we do everything 
to appear as if we were established4    
#eg4--;,although men flatter themselves 
with their great actions1 they are not  
so often the result of a great design as
 of chance4   #eh4--;,it would seem that

 our actions have lucky or unlucky stars
 to which they owe a great part of the  
blame or praise which is given them4    
#ei4--,there are no accidents so        
unfortunate from which skilful men will 
not draw some advantage1 nor so         
fortunate that foolish men will not turn
 them to their hurt4   #fj4--;,fortune  
turns all things to the advantage of    
those on whom she smiles4   #fa4--,the  
happiness or unhappiness of men depends 
no less upon their dispositions than    
their fortunes4  ,still to ourselves in 
every place consigned ,our own felicity 
we make or find4 ,goldsmith1 ,traveller1
 #dca4   #fb4--,sincerity is an openness
 of heart2 we find it in very few       
people2 what we usually see is only an  
artful dissimulation to win the         
confidence of others4   #fc4--,the      
aversion to lying is often a hidden     
ambition to render our words credible   
and weighty1 and to attach a religious  
aspect to our conversation4             
#fd4--,truth does not do as much good in

 the world1 as its counterfeits do evil4
   #fe4--,there is no praise we have not
 lavished upon ,prudence2 and yet she   
cannot assure to us the most trifling   
event4  ,the author corrected this maxim
 several times1 in #affe it is ,no4 #ge2
 #afff1 ,no4 #ff2 #afga-e1 ,no4 #fe2 in 
the last edition it stands as at        
present4 ,in the first he quotes        
,juvenal1 ,sat4 ,x41 line #cae4  ,nullum
 numen habes si sit ,prudentia1 nos te2 
,nos facimus1 ,fortuna1 deam1 coeloque  
locamus4 ,applying to ,prudence what    
,juvenal does to ,fortune1 and with much
 greater force4   #ff4--;,a clever man  
ought to so regulate his interests that 
each will fall in due order4 ,our       
greediness so often troubles us1 making 
us run after so many things at the same 
time1 that while we too eagerly look    
after the least we miss the greatest4   
#fg4--,what grace is to the body good   
sense is to the mind4   #fh4--;,it is   
difficult to define love2 all we can say
 is1 that in the soul it is a desire to 

rule1 in the mind it is a sympathy1 and 
in the body it is a hidden and delicate 
wish to possess what we love--,plus many
 mysteries4  ,love is the love of one   
singularly1 with desire to be singularly
 beloved4--,hobbes,leviathan1 7#afea71  
,part ,i1 ,chapter ,,vi4  ,two notes    
about this quotation3 7#a7 the          
translators' mistakenly have singularity
 for the first singularly and 7#b7      
,hobbes does not actually write ,love is
 the444--he writes ,love of one444 under
 the heading ,the passion of ,love4     
#fi4--;,if there is a pure love1 exempt 
from the mixture of our other passions1 
it is that which is concealed at the    
bottom of the heart and of which even   
ourselves are ignorant4   #gj4--,there  
is no disguise which can long hide love 
where it exists1 nor feign it where it  
does not4   #ga4--,there are few people 
who would not be ashamed of being       
beloved when they love no longer4       
#gb4--;,if we judge of love by the      
majority of its results it rather       

resembles hatred than friendship4       
#gc4--,we may find women who have never 
indulged in an intrigue1 but it is rare 
to find those who have intrigued but    
once4  ,yet there are some1 they say1   
who have had ,none2 ,but those who have1
 ne'er end with only one4 --,lord       
,byron1 ,don ,juan1 ,canto iii41 stanza 
#d4   #gd4--,there is only one sort of  
love1 but there are a thousand different
 copies4   #ge4--,neither love nor fire 
can subsist without perpetual motion2   
both cease to live so soon as they cease
 to hope1 or to fear4  ,so ,lord        
,byron,stanzas1 7#ahai71 stanza #c says 
of ,love-- ,like chiefs of faction1 ,his
 life is action4   #gf4--,there is real 
love just as there are real ghosts2     
every person speaks of it1 few persons  
have seen it4  ,oh ,love6 no habitant of
 earth thou art-- ,an unseen seraph1 we 
believe in thee-- ,a faith whose martyrs
 are the broken heart1-- ,but never yet 
hath seen1 nor e'er shall see ,the naked
 eye1 thy form as it should be4 --,lord 

,byron1 ,childe ,harold1 ,canto iv41    
stanza #aba4   #gg4--,love lends its    
name to an infinite number of           
engagements 7,commerces7 which are      
attributed to it1 but with which it has 
no more concern than the ,doge has with 
all that is done in ,venice4            
#gh4--,the love of justice is simply in 
the majority of men the fear of         
suffering injustice4   #gi4--,silence is
 the best resolve for him who distrusts 
himself4   #hj4--,what renders us so    
changeable in our friendship is1 that it
 is difficult to know the qualities of  
the soul1 but easy to know those of the 
mind4   #ha4--,we can love nothing but  
what agrees with us1 and we can only    
follow our taste or our pleasure when we
 prefer our friends to ourselves2       
nevertheless it is only by that         
preference that friendship can be true  
and perfect4   #hb4--,reconciliation    
with our enemies is but a desire to     
better our condition1 a weariness of    
war1 the fear of some unlucky accident4 

,thus terminated that famous war of the 
,fronde4 ,the ,duke de la ,rochefoucauld
 desired peace because of his dangerous 
wounds and ruined castles1 which had    
made him dread even worse events4 ,on   
the other side the ,queen1 who had shown
 herself so ungrateful to her too       
ambitious friends1 did not cease to feel
 the bitterness of their resentment4 ',i
 wish1' said she1 'it were always night1
 because daylight shows me so many who  
have betrayed me4'--,memoires ,de       
,madame ,de ,motteville1 ,tom4 ,,iv41 p4
 #fj4 ,another proof that although these
 maxims are in some cases of universal  
application1 they were based entirely on
 the experience of the age in which the 
author lived4   #hc4--,what men term    
friendship is merely a partnership with 
a collection of reciprocal interests1   
and an exchange of favours--in fact it  
is but a trade in which self love always
 expects to gain something4   #hd4--;,it
 is more disgraceful to distrust than to
 be deceived by our friends4   #he4--,we

 often persuade ourselves to love people
 who are more powerful than we are1 yet 
interest alone produces our friendship2 
we do not give our hearts away for the  
good we wish to do1 but for that we     
expect to receive4   #hf4--,our distrust
 of another justifies his deceit4       
#hg4--,men would not live long in       
society were they not the dupes of each 
other4  ,a maxim1 adds ,aime ,martin1   
,which may enter into the code of a     
vulgar rogue1 but one is astonished to  
find it in a moral treatise4 ,yet we    
have scriptural authority for it3       
,deceiving and being deceived4--#b      
,,tim4 iii4 #ac4   #hh4--,self love     
increases or diminishes for us the good 
qualities of our friends1 in proportion 
to the satisfaction we feel with them1  
and we judge of their merit by the      
manner in which they act towards us4    
#hi4--;,everyone blames his memory1 no  
one blames his judgment4   #ij4--;,in   
the intercourse of life1 we please more 
by our faults than by our good          

qualities4   #ia4--,the largest ambition
 has the least appearance of ambition   
when it meets with an absolute          
impossibility in compassing its object4 
#ib4--,to awaken a man who is deceived  
as to his own merit is to do him as bad 
a turn as that done to the ,athenian    
madman who was happy in believing that  
all the ships touching at the port      
belonged to him4  ,that is1 they cured  
him4 ,the madman was ,thrasyllus1 son of
 ,pythodorus4 ,his brother ,crito cured 
him1 when he infinitely regretted the   
time of his more pleasant madness4--,see
 ,aelian1 ,var4 ,hist4 iv4 #be4 ,so     
,horace-- ------------,pol1 me          
occidistis1 amici1 ,non servastis1 ait1 
cui sic extorta voluptas ,et demptus per
 vim mentis gratissimus error4 ,,hor4   
,,ep4 ii--#b1 #ach1 of the madman who   
was cured of a pleasant lunacy4         
#ic4--,old men delight in giving good   
advice as a consolation for the fact    
that they can no longer set bad         
examples4   #id4--;,great names degrade 

instead of elevating those who know not 
how to sustain them4   #ie4--,the test  
of extraordinary merit is to see those  
who envy it the most yet obliged to     
praise it4   #if4--;,a man is perhaps   
ungrateful1 but often less chargeable   
with ingratitude than his benefactor is4
   #ig4--,we are deceived if we think   
that mind and judgment are two different
 matters3 judgment is but the extent of 
the light of the mind4 ,this light      
penetrates to the bottom of matters2 it 
remarks all that can be remarked1 and   
perceives what appears imperceptible4   
,therefore we must agree that it is the 
extent of the light in the mind that    
produces all the effects which we       
attribute to judgment4                  
#ih4--;,everyone praises his heart1 none
 dare praise their understanding4       
#ii4--,politeness of mind consists in   
thinking chaste and refined thoughts4   
#ajj4--;,gallantry of mind is saying the
 most empty things in an agreeable      
manner4   #aja4--;,ideas often flash    

across our minds more complete than we  
could make them after much labour4      
#ajb4--,the head is ever the dupe of the
 heart4  ,a feeble imitation of that    
great thought ,all folly comes from the 
heart4--,aime ,martin4 ,but ,bonhome1 in
 his ,l'art ,de ,penser1 says ,plusieurs
 diraient en periode quarre que quelques
 reflexions que fasse l'esprit et       
quelques resolutions qu'il prenne pour  
corriger ses travers le premier         
sentiment du coeur renverse tous ses    
projets4 ,mais il n'appartient qu'a ,m4 
de la ,rochefoucauld de dire tout en un 
mot que l'esprit est toujours la dupe du
 coeur4   #ajc4--,those who know their  
minds do not necessarily know their     
hearts4   #ajd4--,men and things have   
each their proper perspective2 to judge 
rightly of some it is necessary to see  
them near1 of others we can never judge 
rightly but at a distance4   #aje4--;,a 
man for whom accident discovers sense1  
is not a rational being4 ,a man only is 
so who understands1 who distinguishes1  

who tests it4   #ajf4--,to understand   
matters rightly we should understand    
their details1 and as that knowledge is 
almost infinite1 our knowledge is always
 superficial and imperfect4             
#ajg4--,one kind of flirtation is to    
boast we never flirt4   #ajh4--,the head
 cannot long play the part of the heart4
   #aji4--,youth changes its tastes by  
the warmth of its blood1 age retains its
 tastes by habit4   #aaj4--,nothing is  
given so profusely as advice4           
#aaa4--,the more we love a woman the    
more prone we are to hate her4          
#aab4--,the blemishes of the mind1 like 
those of the face1 increase by age4     
#aac4--,there may be good but there are 
no pleasant marriages4   #aad4--,we are 
inconsolable at being deceived by our   
enemies and betrayed by our friends1 yet
 still we are often content to be thus  
served by ourselves4   #aae4--;,it is as
 easy unwittingly to deceive oneself as 
to deceive others4   #aaf4--,nothing is 
less sincere than the way of asking and 

giving advice4 ,the person asking seems 
to pay deference to the opinion of his  
friend1 while thinking in reality of    
making his friend approve his opinion   
and be responsible for his conduct4 ,the
 person giving the advice returns the   
confidence placed in him by eager and   
disinterested zeal1 in doing which he is
 usually guided only by his own interest
 or reputation4  ,i have often thought  
how ill-natured a maxim it was which on 
many occasions ,i have heard from people
 of good understanding1 ',that as to    
what related to private conduct no one  
was ever the better for advice4' ,but   
upon further examination ,i have        
resolved with myself that the maxim     
might be admitted without any violent   
prejudice to mankind4 ,for in the manner
 advice was generally given there was no
 reason ,i thought to wonder it should  
be so ill received1 something there was 
which strangely inverted the case1 and  
made the giver to be the only gainer4   
,for by what ,i could observe in many   

occurrences of our lives1 that which we 
called giving advice was properly taking
 an occasion to show our own wisdom at  
another's expense4 ,on the other side to
 be instructed or to receive advice on  
the terms usually prescribed to us was  
little better than tamely to afford     
another the occasion of raising himself 
a character from our defects4--,lord    
,shaftesbury1 ,characteristics1 i41     
#aec4   #aag4--,the most subtle of our  
acts is to simulate blindness for snares
 that we know are set for us4 ,we are   
never so easily deceived as when trying 
to deceive4   #aah4--,the intention of  
never deceiving often exposes us to     
deception4   #aai4--,we become so       
accustomed to disguise ourselves to     
others that at last we are disguised to 
ourselves4  ,those who quit their proper
 character1 to assume what does not     
belong to them1 are1 for the greater    
part1 ignorant both of the character    
they leave1 and of the character they   
assume4--,burke1 ,reflections ,on ,the  

,revolution ,in ,france1 7#agij71       
,paragraph #ai4  ,the translators'      
incorrectly cite ,thoughts ,on ,the     
,cause ,of ,the ,present ,discontents4  
#abj4--,we often act treacherously more 
from weakness than from a fixed motive4 
#aba4--,we frequently do good to enable 
us with impunity to do evil4            
#abb4--;,if we conquer our passions it  
is more from their weakness than from   
our strength4   #abc4--;,if we never    
flattered ourselves we should have but  
scant pleasure4   #abd4--,the most      
deceitful persons spend their lives in  
blaming deceit1 so as to use it on some 
great occasion to promote some great    
interest4   #abe4--,the daily employment
 of cunning marks a little mind1 it     
generally happens that those who resort 
to it in one respect to protect         
themselves lay themselves open to attack
 in another4  ,with that low cunning    
which in fools supplies1 ,and amply1    
too1 the place of being wise4           
,churchill1 ,rosciad1 #aag4             

#abf4--;,cunning and treachery are the  
offspring of incapacity4   #abg4--,the  
true way to be deceived is to think     
oneself more knowing than others4       
#abh4--,too great cleverness is but     
deceptive delicacy1 true delicacy is the
 most substantial cleverness4           
#abi4--;,it is sometimes necessary to   
play the fool to avoid being deceived by
 cunning men4   #acj4--,weakness is the 
only fault which cannot be cured4       
#aca4--,the smallest fault of women who 
give themselves up to love is to love4  
------,faciunt graviora coactae ,imperio
 sexus minimumque libidine peccant4     
,juvenal1 ,sat4 vi41 #acd4   #acb4--;,it
 is far easier to be wise for others    
than to be so for oneself4  ,hence the  
proverb1 ,a man who is his own lawyer   
has a fool for his client4   #acc4--,the
 only good examples are those1 that make
 us see the absurdity of bad originals4 
#acd4--,we are never so ridiculous from 
the habits we have as from those that we
 affect to have4   #ace4--,we sometimes 

differ more widely from ourselves than  
we do from others4   #acf4--,there are  
some who never would have loved if they 
never had heard it spoken of4           
#acg4--,when not prompted by vanity we  
say little4   #ach4--;,a man would      
rather say evil of himself than say     
nothing4  ,montaigne's vanity led him to
 talk perpetually of himself1 and as    
often happens to vain men1 he would     
rather talk of his own failings than of 
any foreign subject4-- ,hallam1         
,literature ,of ,europe4   #aci4--,one  
of the reasons that we find so few      
persons rational and agreeable in       
conversation is there is hardly a person
 who does not think more of what he     
wants to say than of his answer to what 
is said4 ,the most clever and polite are
 content with only seeming attentive    
while we perceive in their mind and eyes
 that at the very time they are         
wandering from what is said and desire  
to return to what they want to say4     
,instead of considering that the worst  

way to persuade or please others is to  
try thus strongly to please ourselves1  
and that to listen well and to answer   
well are some of the greatest charms we 
can have in conversation4  ,an absent   
man can make but few observations1 he   
can pursue nothing steadily because his 
absences make him lose his way4 ,they   
are very disagreeable and hardly to be  
tolerated in old age1 but in youth they 
cannot be forgiven4 --,lord             
,chesterfield1 ,letter #aie4            
#adj4--;,if it was not for the company  
of fools1 a witty man would often be    
greatly at a loss4   #ada4--,we often   
boast that we are never bored1 but yet  
we are so conceited that we do not      
perceive how often we bore others4      
#adb4--;,as it is the mark of great     
minds to say many things in a few words1
 so it is that of little minds to use   
many words to say nothing4  ,so much    
they talked1 so very little said4       
,churchill1 ,rosciad1 #eej4  ,men who   
are unequal to the labour of discussing 

an argument or wish to avoid it1 are    
willing enough to suppose that much has 
been proved because much has been       
said4-- ,junius1 ,jan4 #agfi4           
#adc4--;,it is oftener by the estimation
 of our own feelings that we exaggerate 
the good qualities of others than by    
their merit1 and when we praise them we 
wish to attract their praise4           
#add4--,we do not like to praise1 and we
 never praise without a motive4 ,praise 
is flattery1 artful1 hidden1 delicate1  
which gratifies differently him who     
praises and him who is praised4 ,the one
 takes it as the reward of merit1 the   
other bestows it to show his            
impartiality and knowledge4   #ade4--,we
 often select envenomed praise which1 by
 a reaction upon those we praise1 shows 
faults we could not have shown by other 
means4   #adf4--,usually we only praise 
to be praised4   #adg4--;,few are       
sufficiently wise to prefer censure     
which is useful to praise which is      
treacherous4   #adh4--,some reproaches  

praise2 some praises reproach4  ,damn   
with faint praise1 assent with civil    
leer1 ,and1 without sneering1 teach the 
rest to sneer4 ,pope ,essay ,on ,man1   
7#agcc71 ,epistle ,to ,dr4 ,arbuthnot4  
#adi4--,the refusal of praise is only   
the wish to be praised twice4  ,the     
modesty which pretends to refuse praise 
is but in truth a desire to be praised  
more highly4 ,edition #affe4            
#aej4--,the desire which urges us to    
deserve praise strengthens our good     
qualities1 and praise given to wit1     
valour1 and beauty1 tends to increase   
them4   #aea4--;,it is easier to govern 
others than to prevent being governed4  
#aeb4--;,if we never flattered ourselves
 the flattery of others would not hurt  
us4  ,adulatione servilia fingebant     
securi de fragilitate credentis4 ,tacit4
 ,ann4 xvi4   #aec4--,nature makes merit
 but fortune sets it to work4           
#aed4--;,fortune cures us of many faults
 that reason could not4   #aee4--,there 
are some persons who only disgust with  

their abilities1 there are persons who  
please even with their faults4          
#aef4--,there are persons whose only    
merit consists in saying and doing      
stupid things at the right time1 and who
 ruin all if they change their manners4 
#aeg4--,the fame of great men ought     
always to be estimated by the means used
 to acquire it4   #aeh4--;,flattery is  
base coin to which only our vanity gives
 currency4   #aei4--;,it is not enough  
to have great qualities1 we should also 
have the management of them4            
#afj4--;,however brilliant an action it 
should not be esteemed great unless the 
result of a great motive4   #afa4--;,a  
certain harmony should be kept between  
actions and ideas if we desire to       
estimate the effects that they produce4 
#afb4--,the art of using moderate       
abilities to advantage wins praise1 and 
often acquires more reputation than real
 brilliancy4   #afc4--,numberless arts  
appear foolish whose secret motives are 
most wise and weighty4   #afd4--;,it is 

much easier to seem fitted for posts we 
do not fill than for those we do4       
#afe4--;,ability wins us the esteem of  
the true men1 luck that of the people4  
#aff4--,the world oftener rewards the   
appearance of merit than merit itself4  
#afg4--;,avarice is more opposed to     
economy than to liberality4             
#afh4--;,however deceitful hope may be1 
yet she carries us on pleasantly to the 
end of life4  ,hope travels through1 nor
 quits us when we die4 ,pope3 ,essay ,on
 ,man1 ,ep4 ii4   #afi4--;,idleness and 
fear keeps us in the path of duty1 but  
our virtue often gets the praise4  ,quod
 segnitia erat sapientia vocaretur4     
,tacitus ,hist4 ,i4   #agj4--;,if one   
acts rightly and honestly1 it is        
difficult to decide whether it is the   
effect of integrity or skill4           
#aga4--;,as rivers are lost in the sea  
so are virtues in self4   #agb4--;,if we
 thoroughly consider the varied effects 
of indifference we find we miscarry more
 in our duties than in our interests4   

#agc4--,there are different kinds of    
curiosity3 one springs from interest1   
which makes us desire to know everything
 that may be profitable to us2 another  
from pride1 which springs from a desire 
of knowing what others are ignorant of4 
#agd4--;,it is far better to accustom   
our mind to bear the ills we have than  
to speculate on those which may befall  
us4  ,rather bear those ills we have    
,than fly to others that we know not of4
 --,shakespeare1 ,hamlet1 ,act ,,iii1   
,scene ,i1 ,hamlet4   #age4--;,constancy
 in love is a perpetual inconstancy     
which causes our heart to attach itself 
to all the qualities of the person we   
love in succession1 sometimes giving the
 preference to one1 sometimes to        
another4 ,this constancy is merely      
inconstancy fixed1 and limited to the   
same person4   #agf4--,there are two    
kinds of constancy in love1 one arising 
from incessantly finding in the loved   
one fresh objects to love1 the other    
from regarding it as a point of honour  

to be constant4   #agg4--,perseverance  
is not deserving of blame or praise1 as 
it is merely the continuance of tastes  
and feelings which we can neither create
 or destroy4   #agh4--,what makes us    
like new studies is not so much the     
weariness we have of the old or the wish
 for change as the desire to be admired 
by those who know more than ourselves1  
and the hope of advantage over those who
 know less4   #agi4--,we sometimes      
complain of the levity of our friends to
 justify our own by anticipation4       
#ahj4--,our repentance is not so much   
sorrow for the ill we have done as fear 
of the ill that may happen to us4       
#aha4--,one sort of inconstancy springs 
from levity or weakness of mind1 and    
makes us accept everyone's opinion1 and 
another more excusable comes from a     
surfeit of matter4   #ahb4--,vices enter
 into the composition of virtues as     
poison into that of medicines4 ,prudence
 collects and blends the two and renders
 them useful against the ills of life4  

#ahc4--;,for the credit of virtue we    
must admit that the greatest misfortunes
 of men are those into which they fall  
through their crimes4   #ahd4--,we admit
 our faults to repair by our sincerity  
the evil we have done in the opinion of 
others4  ,in the edition of #affe this  
maxim stands as ,no4 #bjj4 ,we never    
admit our faults except through vanity4 
#ahe4--,there are both heroes of evil   
and heroes of good4  ,ut alios industria
 ita hunc ignavia protulerat ad famam1  
habebaturque non ganeo et profligator   
sed erudito luxu4 --,tacit4 ,ann4 xvi4  
#ahf4--,we do not despise all who have  
vices1 but we do despise all who have   
not virtues4  ,if individuals have no   
virtues their vices may be of use to    
us4--,junius1 #eth ,oct4 #agga4         
#ahg4--,the name of virtue is as useful 
to our interest as that of vice4        
#ahh4--,the health of the mind is not   
less uncertain than that of the body1   
and when passions seem furthest removed 
we are no less in danger of infection   

than of falling ill when we are well4   
#ahi4--;,it seems that nature has at    
man's birth fixed the bounds of his     
virtues and vices4   #aij4--;,great men 
should not have great faults4           
#aia4--,we may say vices wait on us in  
the course of our life as the landlords 
with whom we successively lodge1 and if 
we travelled the road twice over ,i     
doubt if our experience would make us   
avoid them4   #aib4--,when our vices    
leave us we flatter ourselves with the  
idea we have left them4   #aic4--,there 
are relapses in the diseases of the mind
 as in those of the body2 what we call a
 cure is often no more than an          
intermission or change of disease4      
#aid4--,the defects of the mind are like
 the wounds of the body4 ,whatever care 
we take to heal them the scars ever     
remain1 and there is always danger of   
their reopening4   #aie4--,the reason   
which often prevents us abandoning a    
single vice is having so many4          
#aif4--,we easily forget those faults   

which are known only to ourselves4      
,seneca says ,innocentem quisque se     
dicit respiciens testem non             
conscientiam4   #aig4--,there are men of
 whom we can never believe evil without 
having seen it4 ,yet there are very few 
in whom we should be surprised to see   
it4   #aih4--,we exaggerate the glory of
 some men to detract from that of       
others1 and we should praise ,prince    
,conde and ,marshal ,turenne much less  
if we did not want to blame them both4  
,the allusion to ,conde and ,turenne    
gives the date at which these maxims    
were published in #affe4 ,conde and     
,turenne were after their campaign with 
the ,imperialists at the height of their
 fame4 ,it proves the truth of the      
remark of ,tacitus1 ,populus neminem    
sine aemulo sinit4-- ,tac4 ,ann4 xiv4   
#aii4--,the desire to appear clever     
often prevents our being so4            
#bjj4--,virtue would not go far did not 
vanity escort her4   #bja4--;,he who    
thinks he has the power to content the  

world greatly deceives himself1 but he  
who thinks that the world cannot be     
content with him deceives himself yet   
more4   #bjb4--;,falsely honest men are 
those who disguise their faults both to 
themselves and others2 truly honest men 
are those who know them perfectly and   
confess them4   #bjc4--;,he is really   
wise who is nettled at nothing4         
#bjd4--,the coldness of women is a      
balance and burden they add to their    
beauty4   #bje4--,virtue in woman is    
often the love of reputation and repose4
   #bjf4--;,he is a truly good man who  
desires always to bear the inspection of
 good men4   #bjg4--;,folly follows us  
at all stages of life4 ,if one appears  
wise 'tis but because his folly is      
proportioned to his age and fortune4    
#bjh4--,there are foolish people who    
know and who skilfully use their folly4 
#bji4--,who lives without folly is not  
so wise as he thinks4   #baj4--;,in     
growing old we become more foolish--and 
more wise4   #baa4--,there are people   

who are like farces1 which are praised  
but for a time 7however foolish and     
distasteful they may be74  ,the last    
clause is added from ,edition of #affe4 
#bab4--,most people judge men only by   
success or by fortune4   #bac4--,love of
 glory1 fear of shame1 greed of fortune1
 the desire to make life agreeable and  
comfortable1 and the wish to depreciate 
others are often causes of that bravery 
so vaunted among men4  ,junius said of  
the ,marquis of ,granby1 ,he was as     
brave as a total absence of all feeling 
and reflection could make him4--#bast   
,jan4 #agfi4   #bad4--,valour in common 
soldiers is a perilous method of earning
 their living4  ,men venture necks to   
gain a fortune1 ,the soldier does it    
ev'ry day1 7,eight to the week7 for     
sixpence pay4 --,samuel ,butler1        
,hudibras1 ,part ,,ii41 canto i41 line  
#eab4   #bae4--,perfect bravery and     
sheer cowardice are two extremes rarely 
found4 ,the space between them is vast1 
and embraces all other sorts of courage4

 ,the difference between them is not    
less than between faces and tempers4    
,men will freely expose themselves at   
the beginning of an action1 and relax   
and be easily discouraged if it should  
last4 ,some are content to satisfy      
worldly honour1 and beyond that will do 
little else4 ,some are not always       
equally masters of their timidity4      
,others allow themselves to be overcome 
by panic2 others charge because they    
dare not remain at their posts4 ,some   
may be found whose courage is           
strengthened by small perils1 which     
prepare them to face greater dangers4   
,some will dare a sword cut and flinch  
from a bullet2 others dread bullets     
little and fear to fight with swords4   
,these varied kinds of courage agree in 
this1 that night1 by increasing fear and
 concealing gallant or cowardly actions1
 allows men to spare themselves4 ,there 
is even a more general discretion to be 
observed1 for we meet with no man who   
does all he would have done if he were  

assured of getting off scot-free2 so    
that it is certain that the fear of     
death does somewhat subtract from       
valour4  ,see also ,table ,talk of      
,napoleon1 who agrees with this1 so far 
as to say that few1 but himself1 had a  
two o'clock of the morning valour4      
#baf4--,perfect valour is to do without 
witnesses what one would do before all  
the world4  ,it is said of untrue       
valours that some men's valours are in  
the eyes of them that look on4--,bacon1 
,advancement ,of ,learning1 7#afje71    
,book ,i1 ,section ,,ii1 paragraph #e4  
#bag4--;,intrepidity is an extraordinary
 strength of soul which raises it above 
the troubles1 disorders1 and emotions   
which the sight of great perils can     
arouse in it3 by this strength heroes   
maintain a calm aspect and preserve     
their reason and liberty in the most    
surprising and terrible accidents4      
#bah4--;,hypocrisy is the homage vice   
pays to virtue4  ,so ,massillon1 in one 
of his sermons1 ,vice pays homage to    

virtue in doing honour to her           
appearance4  ,so ,junius1 writing to the
 ,duke of ,grafton1 says1 ,you have done
 as much mischief to the community as   
,machiavel1 if ,machiavel had not known 
that an appearance of morals and        
religion are useful in society4--#bh    
,sept4 #agga4   #bai4--,most men expose 
themselves in battle enough to save     
their honor1 few wish to do so more than
 sufficiently1 or than is necessary to  
make the design for which they expose   
themselves succeed4   #bbj4--,vanity1   
shame1 and above all disposition1 often 
make men brave and women chaste4        
,vanity bids all her sons be brave and  
all her daughters chaste and courteous4 
,but why do we need her                 
instruction8--,sterne1 ,sermons4        
#bba4--,we do not wish to lose life2 we 
do wish to gain glory1 and this makes   
brave men show more tact and address in 
avoiding death1 than rogues show in     
preserving their fortunes4              
#bbb4--;,few persons on the first       

approach of age do not show wherein     
their body1 or their mind1 is beginning 
to fail4   #bbc4--;,gratitude is as the 
good faith of merchants3 it holds       
commerce together2 and we do not pay    
because it is just to pay debts1 but    
because we shall thereby more easily    
find people who will lend4              
#bbd4--;,all those who pay the debts of 
gratitude cannot thereby flatter        
themselves that they are grateful4      
#bbe4--,what makes false reckoning1 as  
regards gratitude1 is that the pride of 
the giver and the receiver cannot agree 
as to the value of the benefit4  ,the   
first foundation of friendship is not   
the power of conferring benefits1 but   
the equality with which they are        
received1 and may be                    
returned4--,junius's ,letter ,to ,the   
,king4   #bbf4--,too great a hurry to   
discharge of an obligation is a kind of 
ingratitude4   #bbg4--,lucky people are 
bad hands at correcting their faults2   
they always believe that they are right 

when fortune backs up their vice or     
folly4  ,the power of fortune is        
confessed only by the miserable1 for the
 happy impute all their success to      
prudence and merit4--,swift1 ,thoughts  
,on ,various ,subjects   #bbh4--,pride  
will not owe1 self-love will not pay4   
#bbi4--,the good we have received from a
 man should make us excuse the wrong he 
does us4   #bcj4--,nothing is so        
infectious as example1 and we never do  
great good or evil without producing the
 like4 ,we imitate good actions by      
emulation1 and bad ones by the evil of  
our nature1 which shame imprisons until 
example liberates4   #bca4--;,it is     
great folly to wish only to be wise4    
#bcb4--,whatever pretext we give to our 
afflictions it is always interest or    
vanity that causes them4   #bcc4--;,in  
afflictions there are various kinds of  
hypocrisy4 ,in one1 under the pretext of
 weeping for one dear to us we bemoan   
ourselves2 we regret her good opinion of
 us1 we deplore the loss of our comfort1

 our pleasure1 our consideration4 ,thus 
the dead have the credit of tears shed  
for the living4 ,i affirm 'tis a kind of
 hypocrisy which in these afflictions   
deceives itself4 ,there is another kind 
not so innocent because it imposes on   
all the world1 that is the grief of     
those who aspire to the glory of a noble
 and immortal sorrow4 ,after ,time1     
which absorbs all1 has obliterated what 
sorrow they had1 they still obstinately 
obtrude their tears1 their sighs their  
groans1 they wear a solemn face1 and try
 to persuade others by all their acts1  
that their grief will end only with     
their life4 ,this sad and distressing   
vanity is commonly found in ambitious   
women4 ,as their sex closes to them all 
paths to glory1 they strive to render   
themselves celebrated by showing an     
inconsolable affliction4 ,there is yet  
another kind of tears arising from but  
small sources1 which flow easily and    
cease as easily4 ,one weeps to achieve a
 reputation for tenderness1 weeps to be 

pitied1 weeps to be bewept1 in fact one 
weeps to avoid the disgrace of not      
weeping6  ,in grief the ,pleasure is    
still uppermost2 and the affliction we  
suffer has no resemblance to absolute   
pain which is always odious1 and which  
we endeavour to shake off as soon as    
possible4--,burke1 ,sublime ,and        
,beautiful1 7#agef71 ,part ,i1 ,sect4   
,v4   #bcd4--;,it is more often from    
pride than from ignorance that we are so
 obstinately opposed to current         
opinions2 we find the first places      
taken1 and we do not want to be the     
last4   #bce4--,we are easily consoled  
at the misfortunes of our friends when  
they enable us to prove our tenderness  
for them4   #bcf4--;,it would seem that 
even self-love may be the dupe of       
goodness and forget itself when we work 
for others4 ,and yet it is but taking   
the shortest way to arrive at its aim1  
taking usury under the pretext of       
giving1 in fact winning everybody in a  
subtle and delicate manner4   #bcg4--,no

 one should be praised for his goodness 
if he has not strength enough to be     
wicked4 ,all other goodness is but too  
often an idleness or powerlessness of   
will4   #bch4--;,it is not so dangerous 
to do wrong to most men1 as to do them  
too much good4   #bci4--,nothing        
flatters our pride so much as the       
confidence of the great1 because we     
regard it as the result of our worth1   
without remembering that generally 'tis 
but vanity1 or the inability to keep a  
secret4   #bdj4--,we may say of         
conformity as distinguished from beauty1
 that it is a symmetry which knows no   
rules1 and a secret harmony of features 
both one with each other and with the   
colour and appearance of the person4    
#bda4--;,flirtation is at the bottom of 
woman's nature1 although all do not     
practise it1 some being restrained by   
fear1 others by sense4  ,by nature woman
 is a flirt1 but her flirting changes   
both in the mode and object according to
 her opinions4-- ,rousseau1 ,emile4     

#bdb4--,we often bore others when we    
think we cannot possibly bore them4     
#bdc4--;,few things are impossible in   
themselves2 application to make them    
succeed fails us more often than the    
means4   #bdd4--,sovereign ability      
consists in knowing the value of things4
   #bde4--,there is great ability in    
knowing how to conceal one's ability4   
,you have accomplished a great stroke in
 diplomacy when you have made others    
think that you have only very average   
abilities4--,la ,bruyere4   #bdf4--,what
 seems generosity is often disguised    
ambition1 that despises small to run    
after greater interest4   #bdg4--,the   
fidelity of most men is merely an       
invention of self-love to win           
confidence2 a method to place us above  
others and to render us depositaries of 
the most important matters4             
#bdh4--,magnanimity despises all1 to win
 all4   #bdi4--,there is no less        
eloquence in the voice1 in the eyes and 
in the air of a speaker than in his     

choice of words4   #bej4--,true         
eloquence consists in saying all that   
should be1 not all that could be said4  
#bea4--,there are people whose faults   
become them1 others whose very virtues  
disgrace them4  ,there are faults which 
do him honour1 and virtues that disgrace
 him4--,junius1 ,letter ,of #bhth ,may1 
#aggj4   #beb4--;,it is as common to    
change one's tastes1 as it is uncommon  
to change one's inclinations4           
#bec4--;,interest sets at work all sorts
 of virtues and vices4                  
#bed4--;,humility is often a feigned    
submission which we employ to supplant  
others4 ,it is one of the devices of    
,pride to lower us to raise us2 and     
truly pride transforms itself in a      
thousand ways1 and is never so well     
disguised and more able to deceive than 
when it hides itself under the form of  
humility4  ,grave and plausible enough  
to be thought fit for                   
business4--,junius1 ,letter ,to ,the    
,duke ,of ,grafton4  ,he saw a cottage  

with a double coach-house1 ,a cottage of
 gentility1 ,and the devil was pleased1 
for his darling sin ,is the pride that  
apes humility4 ,southey1 ,devil's ,walk4
  ,there are numerous corrections       
necessary for this quotation2 ,i will   
keep the original above so you can      
compare the correct passages3  ,he      
passed a cottage with a double          
coach-house1 ,a cottage of gentility1   
,and he owned with a grin1 ,that his    
favourite sin ,is pride that apes       
humility4 --,southey1 ,devil's ,walk1   
,stanza #h4  ,and the devil did grin1   
for his darling sin ,is pride that apes 
humility4 --,samuel ,taylor ,coleridge1 
,the ,devil's ,thoughts   #bee4--;,all  
feelings have their peculiar tone of    
voice1 gestures and looks1 and this     
harmony1 as it is good or bad1 pleasant 
or unpleasant1 makes people agreeable or
 disagreeable4   #bef4--;,in all        
professions we affect a part and an     
appearance to seem what we wish to be4  
,thus the world is merely composed of   

actors4  ,all the world's a stage1 and  
all the men and women merely            
players4--,shakespeare1 ,as ,you ,like  
,it1 ,act ,,ii1 ,scene ,,vii1 ,jaques4  
,life is no more than a dramatic scene1 
in which the hero should preserve his   
consistency to the last4--,junius4      
#beg4--;,gravity is a mysterious        
carriage of the body invented to conceal
 the want of mind4  ,gravity is the very
 essence of imposture4--,shaftesbury1   
,characteristics1 p4 #aa1 vol4 ,i4 ,the 
very essence of gravity is design1 and  
consequently deceit2 a taught trick to  
gain credit with the world for more     
sense and knowledge than a man was      
worth1 and that with all its pretensions
 it was no better1 but often worse1 than
 what a ,french wit had long ago defined
 it--a mysterious carriage of the body  
to cover the defects of the             
mind4--,sterne1 ,tristram ,shandy1 vol4 
,i41 chap4 ii4   #beh4--;,good taste    
arises more from judgment than wit4     
#bei4--,the pleasure of love is in      

loving1 we are happier in the passion we
 feel than in that we inspire4          
#bfj4--;,civility is but a desire to    
receive civility1 and to be esteemed    
polite4   #bfa4--,the usual education of
 young people is to inspire them with a 
second self-love4   #bfb4--,there is no 
passion wherein self-love reigns so     
powerfully as in love1 and one is always
 more ready to sacrifice the peace of   
the loved one than his own4             
#bfc4--,what we call liberality is often
 but the vanity of giving1 which we like
 more than that we give away4           
#bfd4--,pity is often a reflection of   
our own evils in the ills of others4 ,it
 is a delicate foresight of the troubles
 into which we may fall4 ,we help others
 that on like occasions we may be helped
 ourselves1 and these services which we 
render1 are in reality benefits we      
confer on ourselves by anticipation4    
,grief for the calamity of another is   
pity1 and ariseth from the imagination  
that a like calamity may befal himself2 

and therefore is called                 
compassion4--,hobbes' ,leviathan1       
7#afea71 ,part ,i1 ,chapter ,,vi4       
#bfe4--;,a narrow mind begets obstinacy1
 and we do not easily believe what we   
cannot see4  ,stiff in opinion1 always  
in the wrong4 ,dryden1 ,absalom ,and    
,achitophel1 line #edg4   #bff4--,we    
deceive ourselves if we believe that    
there are violent passions like ambition
 and love that can triumph over others4 
,idleness1 languishing as she is1 does  
not often fail in being mistress2 she   
usurps authority over all the plans and 
actions of life2 imperceptibly consuming
 and destroying both passions and       
virtues4   #bfg4--;,a quickness in      
believing evil without having           
sufficiently examined it1 is the effect 
of pride and laziness4 ,we wish to find 
the guilty1 and we do not wish to       
trouble ourselves in examining the      
crime4   #bfh4--,we credit judges with  
the meanest motives1 and yet we desire  
our reputation and fame should depend   

upon the judgment of men1 who are all1  
either from their jealousy or           
pre-occupation or want of intelligence1 
opposed to us--and yet 'tis only to make
 these men decide in our favour that we 
peril in so many ways both our peace and
 our life4   #bfi4--,no man is clever   
enough to know all the evil he does4    
#bgj4--,one honour won is a surety for  
more4   #bga4--,youth is a continual    
intoxication2 it is the fever of reason4
  ,the best of life is but              
intoxication4--,lord ,byron1  ,don      
,juan1 ,canto ,,ii1 stanza #agi4 ,in the
 #ast ,edition1 #affe1 the maxim        
finishes with--it is the fever of       
health1 the folly of reason4            
#bgb4--,nothing should so humiliate men 
who have deserved great praise1 as the  
care they have taken to acquire it by   
the smallest means4   #bgc4--,there are 
persons of whom the world approves who  
have no merit beyond the vices they use 
in the affairs of life4   #bgd4--,the   
beauty of novelty is to love as the     

flower to the fruit2 it lends a lustre  
which is easily lost1 but which never   
returns4   #bge4--,natural goodness1    
which boasts of being so apparent1 is   
often smothered by the least interest4  
#bgf4--;,absence extinguishes small     
passions and increases great ones1 as   
the wind will blow out a candle1 and    
blow in a fire4   #bgg4--,women often   
think they love when they do not love4  
,the business of a love affair1 the     
emotion of mind that sentiment induces1 
the natural bias towards the pleasure of
 being loved1 the difficulty of         
refusing1 persuades them that they have 
real passion when they have but         
flirtation4  ,and if in fact she takes a
 ,grande ,passion1 ,it is a very serious
 thing indeed3 ,nine times in ten 'tis  
but caprice or fashion1 ,coquetry1 or a 
wish to take the lead1 ,the pride of a  
mere child with a new sash on4 ,or wish 
to make a rival's bosom bleed3 ,but the 
,tenth instance will be a tornado1 ,for 
there's no saying what they will or may 

do4 --,lord ,byron1 ,don ,juan1 canto   
xii4 stanza #gg4   #bgh4--,what makes us
 so often discontented with those who   
transact business for us is that they   
almost always abandon the interest of   
their friends for the interest of the   
business1 because they wish to have the 
honour of succeeding in that which they 
have undertaken4   #bgi4--,when we      
exaggerate the tenderness of our friends
 towards us1 it is often less from      
gratitude than from a desire to exhibit 
our own merit4   #bhj4--,the praise we  
give to new comers into the world arises
 from the envy we bear to those who are 
established4   #bha4--,pride1 which     
inspires1 often serves to moderate envy4
   #bhb4--,some disguised lies so       
resemble truth1 that we should judge    
badly were we not deceived4             
#bhc4--,sometimes there is not less     
ability in knowing how to use than in   
giving good advice4   #bhd4--,there are 
wicked people who would be much less    
dangerous if they were wholly without   

goodness4   #bhe4--,magnanimity is      
sufficiently defined by its name1       
nevertheless one can say it is the good 
sense of pride1 the most noble way of   
receiving praise4   #bhf4--;,it is      
impossible to love a second time those  
whom we have really ceased to love4     
#bhg4--;,fertility of mind does not     
furnish us with so many resources on the
 same matter1 as the lack of            
intelligence makes us hesitate at each  
thing our imagination presents1 and     
hinders us from at first discerning     
which is the best4   #bhh4--,there are  
matters and maladies which at certain   
times remedies only serve to make worse2
 true skill consists in knowing when it 
is dangerous to use them4               
#bhi4--;,affected simplicity is refined 
imposture4  ,domitianus simplicitatis ac
 modestiae imagine studium litterarum et
 amorem carminum simulabat quo velaret  
animum et fratris aemulationi           
subduceretur4--,tacitus1 ,ann4 iv4      
#bij4--,there are as many errors of     

temper as of mind4   #bia4--,man's      
merit1 like the crops1 has its season4  
#bib4--,one may say of temper as of many
 buildings2 it has divers aspects1 some 
agreeable1 others disagreeable4         
#bic4--,moderation cannot claim the     
merit of opposing and overcoming        
,ambition3 they are never found         
together4 ,moderation is the languor and
 sloth of the soul1 ,ambition its       
activity and heat4   #bid4--,we always  
like those who admire us1 we do not     
always like those whom we admire4       
#bie4--;,it is well that we know not all
 our wishes4   #bif4--;,it is difficult 
to love those we do not esteem1 but it  
is no less so to love those whom we     
esteem much more than ourselves4        
#big4--;,bodily temperaments have a     
common course and rule which            
imperceptibly affect our will4 ,they    
advance in combination1 and successively
 exercise a secret empire over us1 so   
that1 without our perceiving it1 they   
become a great part of all our actions4 

#bih4--,the gratitude of most men is but
 a secret desire of receiving greater   
benefits4  ,hence the common proverb    
,gratitude is merely a lively sense of  
favors to come4   #bii4--;,almost all   
the world takes pleasure in paying small
 debts2 many people show gratitude for  
trifling1 but there is hardly one who   
does not show ingratitude for great     
favours4   #cjj4--,there are follies as 
catching as infections4   #cja4--,many  
people despise1 but few know how to     
bestow wealth4   #cjb4--,only in things 
of small value we usually are bold      
enough not to trust to appearances4     
#cjc4--,whatever good quality may be    
imputed to us1 we ourselves find nothing
 new in it4   #cjd4--,we may forgive    
those who bore us1 we cannot forgive    
those whom we bore4   #cje4--;,interest 
which is accused of all our misdeeds    
often should be praised for our good    
deeds4   #cjf4--,we find very few       
ungrateful people when we are able to   
confer favours4   #cjg4--;,it is as     

proper to be boastful alone as it is    
ridiculous to be so in company4         
#cjh4--,moderation is made a virtue to  
limit the ambition of the great2 to     
console ordinary people for their small 
fortune and equally small ability4      
#cji4--,there are persons fated to be   
fools1 who commit follies not only by   
choice1 but who are forced by fortune to
 do so4   #caj4--,sometimes there are   
accidents in our life the skilful       
extrication from which demands a little 
folly4   #caa4--;,if there be men whose 
folly has never appeared1 it is because 
it has never been closely looked for4   
#cab4--,lovers are never tired of each  
other1--they always speak of themselves4
   #cac4--;,how is it that our memory is
 good enough to retain the least        
triviality that happens to us1 and yet  
not good enough to recollect how often  
we have told it to the same person8     
,old men who yet retain the memory of   
things past1 and forget how often they  
have told them1 are most tedious        

companions4--,montaigne1 ,essays1 ,book 
,i1 ,chapter ,,ix4   #cad4--,the extreme
 delight we take in talking of ourselves
 should warn us that it is not shared by
 those who listen4   #cae4--,what       
commonly hinders us from showing the    
recesses of our heart to our friends1 is
 not the distrust we have of them1 but  
that we have of ourselves4              
#caf4--,weak persons cannot be sincere4 
#cag4--',tis a small misfortune to      
oblige an ungrateful man2 but it is     
unbearable to be obliged by a scoundrel4
   #cah4--,we may find means to cure a  
fool of his folly1 but there are none to
 set straight a cross-grained spirit4   
#cai4--;,if we take the liberty to dwell
 on their faults we cannot long preserve
 the feelings we should hold towards our
 friends and benefactors4   #cbj4--,to  
praise princes for virtues they do not  
possess is but to reproach them with    
impunity4  ,praise undeserved is satire 
in disguise1 quoted by ,pope from a poem
 which has not survived1 ,the ,garland1 

by ,mr4 ,broadhurst4 ,in some cases     
exaggerated or inappropriate praise     
becomes the most severe satire4--       
,scott1 ,woodstock4   #cba4--,we are    
nearer loving those who hate us1 than   
those who love us more than we desire4  
#cbb4--,those only are despicable who   
fear to be despised4   #cbc4--,our      
wisdom is no less at the mercy of       
,fortune than our goods4   #cbd4--,there
 is more self-love than love in         
jealousy4   #cbe4--,we often comfort    
ourselves by the weakness of evils1 for 
which reason has not the strength to    
console us4   #cbf4--,ridicule          
dishonours more than dishonour itself4  
,no1 says a commentator1 ,ridicule may  
do harm1 but it cannot dishonour2 it is 
vice which confers dishonour4           
#cbg4--,we own to small faults to       
persuade others that we have not great  
ones4   #cbh4--;,envy is more           
irreconcilable than hatred4   #cbi4--,we
 believe1 sometimes1 that we hate       
flattery --we only dislike the method4  

,but when ,i tell him he hates          
flatterers1 ,he says he does1 being then
 most flattered4 ,shakespeare1 ,julius  
,caesar 1,act ,,ii1 ,scene ,i1 ,decius4 
#ccj4--,we pardon in the degree that we 
love4   #cca4--;,it is more difficult to
 be faithful to a mistress when one is  
happy1 than when we are ill-treated by  
her4  ,si qua volet regnare diu         
contemnat amantem4--,ovid1 ,amores1 ii4 
#ai4   #ccb4--,women do not know all    
their powers of flirtation4             
#ccc4--,women cannot be completely      
severe unless they hate4   #ccd4--,women
 can less easily resign flirtations than
 love4   #cce4--;,in love deceit almost 
always goes further than mistrust4      
#ccf4--,there is a kind of love1 the    
excess of which forbids jealousy4       
#ccg4--,there are certain good qualities
 as there are senses1 and those who want
 them can neither perceive nor          
understand them4   #cch4--,when our     
hatred is too bitter it places us below 
those whom we hate4   #cci4--,we only   

appreciate our good or evil in          
proportion to our self-love4            
#cdj4--,the wit of most women rather    
strengthens their folly than their      
reason4  ,women have an entertaining    
tattle1 and sometimes wit1 but for solid
 reasoning and good sense ,i never knew 
one in my life that had it1 and who     
reasoned and acted consequentially for  
four and twenty hours together4--,lord  
,chesterfield1 ,letter #abi4            
#cda4--,the heat of youth is not more   
opposed to safety than the coldness of  
age4   #cdb4--,the accent of our native 
country dwells in the heart and mind as 
well as on the tongue4   #cdc4--,to be a
 great man one should know how to profit
 by every phase of fortune4             
#cdd4--,most men1 like plants1 possess  
hidden qualities which chance discovers4
   #cde4--,opportunity makes us known to
 others1 but more to ourselves4         
#cdf4--;,if a woman's temper is beyond  
control there can be no control of the  
mind or heart4   #cdg4--,we hardly find 

any persons of good sense1 save those   
who agree with us4  ,that was           
excellently observed1 say ,i1 when ,i   
read an author when his opinion agrees  
with mine4--,swift1 ,thoughts ,on       
,various ,subjects4   #cdh4--,when one  
loves one doubts even what one most     
believes4   #cdi4--,the greatest miracle
 of love is to eradicate flirtation4    
#cej4--,why we hate with so much        
bitterness those who deceive us is      
because they think themselves more      
clever than we are4  ,i could pardon all
 his 7,louis ,,xi4's7 deceit1 but ,i    
cannot forgive his supposing me capable 
of the gross folly of being duped by his
 professions4--,sir ,walter ,scott1     
,quentin ,durward4   #cea4--,we have    
much trouble to break with one1 when we 
no longer are in love4   #ceb4--,we     
almost always are bored with persons    
with whom we should not be bored4       
#cec4--;,a gentleman may love like a    
lunatic1 but not like a beast4          
#ced4--,there are certain defects which 

well mounted glitter like virtue itself4
   #cee4--,sometimes we lose friends for
 whose loss our regret is greater than  
our grief1 and others for whom our grief
 is greater than our regret4            
#cef4--,usually we only praise heartily 
those who admire us4   #ceg4--,little   
minds are too much wounded by little    
things2 great minds see all and are not 
even hurt4   #ceh4--;,humility is the   
true proof of ,christian virtues2       
without it we retain all our faults1 and
 they are only covered by pride to hide 
them from others1 and often from        
ourselves4   #cei4--;,infidelities      
should extinguish love1 and we ought not
 to be jealous when we have cause to be 
so4 ,no persons escape causing jealousy 
who are worthy of exciting it4          
#cfj4--,we are more humiliated by the   
least infidelity towards us1 than by our
 greatest towards others4               
#cfa4--;,jealousy is always born with   
love1 but does not always die with it4  
#cfb4--,most women do not grieve so much

 for the death of their lovers for      
love's-sake1 as to show they were worthy
 of being beloved4   #cfc4--,the evils  
we do to others give us less pain than  
those we do to ourselves4   #cfd4--,we  
well know that it is bad taste to talk  
of our wives2 but we do not so well know
 that it is the same to speak of        
ourselves4   #cfe4--,there are virtues  
which degenerate into vices when they   
arise from ,nature1 and others which    
when acquired are never perfect4 ,for   
example1 reason must teach us to manage 
our estate and our confidence1 while    
,nature should have given us goodness   
and valour4   #cff4--;,however we       
distrust the sincerity of those whom we 
talk with1 we always believe them more  
sincere with us than with others4       
#cfg4--,there are few virtuous women who
 are not tired of their part4  ,every   
woman is at heart a rake4--,pope4 ,moral
 ,essays1 ii4   #cfh4--,the greater     
number of good women are like concealed 
treasures1 safe as no one has searched  

for them4   #cfi4--,the violences we put
 upon ourselves to escape love are often
 more cruel than the cruelty of those we
 love4   #cgj4--,there are not many     
cowards who know the whole of their     
fear4   #cga4--;,it is generally the    
fault of the loved one not to perceive  
when love ceases4   #cgb4--,most young  
people think they are natural when they 
are only boorish and rude4              
#cgc4--,some tears after having deceived
 others deceive ourselves4   #cgd4--;,if
 we think we love a woman for love of   
herself we are greatly deceived4        
#cge4--,ordinary men commonly condemn   
what is beyond them4   #cgf4--;,envy is 
destroyed by true friendship1 flirtation
 by true love4   #cgg4--,the greatest   
mistake of penetration is not to have   
fallen short1 but to have gone too far4 
#cgh4--,we may bestow advice1 but we    
cannot inspire the conduct4             
#cgi4--;,as our merit declines so also  
does our taste4   #chj4--;,fortune makes
 visible our virtues or our vices1 as   

light does objects4   #cha4--,the       
struggle we undergo to remain faithful  
to one we love is little better than    
infidelity4   #chb4--,our actions are   
like the rhymed ends of blank verses    
7,bouts-,rimes7 where to each one puts  
what construction he pleases4  ,the     
,bouts-,rimes was a literary game       
popular in the #agth and #ahth          
centuries--the rhymed words at the end  
of a line being given for others to fill
 up4 ,thus ,horace ,walpole being given1
 brook1 why1 crook1 ,i1 returned the    
burlesque verse-- ,i sits with my toes  
in a ,brook1 ,and if any one axes me    
,why8 ,i gies 'em a rap with my ,crook1 
',tis constancy makes me1 ses ,i4       
#chc4--,the desire of talking about     
ourselves1 and of putting our faults in 
the light we wish them to be seen1 forms
 a great part of our sincerity4         
#chd4--,we should only be astonished at 
still being able to be astonished4      
#che4--;,it is equally as difficult to  
be contented when one has too much or   

too little love4   #chf4--,no people are
 more often wrong than those who will   
not allow themselves to be wrong4       
#chg4--;,a fool has not stuff in him to 
be good4   #chh4--;,if vanity does not  
overthrow all virtues1 at least she     
makes them totter4   #chi4--,what makes 
the vanity of others unsupportable is   
that it wounds our own4   #cij4--,we    
give up more easily our interest than   
our taste4   #cia4--;,fortune appears so
 blind to none as to those to whom she  
has done no good4   #cib4--,we should   
manage fortune like our health1 enjoy it
 when it is good1 be patient when it is 
bad1 and never resort to strong remedies
 but in an extremity4                   
#cic4--;,awkwardness sometimes          
disappears in the camp1 never in the    
court4   #cid4--;,a man is often more   
clever than one other1 but not than all 
others4  ,singuli decipere ac decipi    
possunt1 nemo omnes1 omnes neminem      
fefellerunt4--,pliny the ,younger1      
,panegyricus1 ,,lxii4   #cie4--,we are  

often less unhappy at being deceived by 
one we loved1 than on being deceived4   
#cif4--,we keep our first lover for a   
long time--if we do not get a second4   
#cig4--,we have not the courage to say  
generally that we have no faults1 and   
that our enemies have no good qualities2
 but in fact we are not far from        
believing so4   #cih4--,of all our      
faults that which we most readily admit 
is idleness3 we believe that it makes   
all virtues ineffectual1 and that       
without utterly destroying1 it at least 
suspends their operation4               
#cii4--,there is a kind of greatness    
which does not depend upon fortune3 it  
is a certain manner what distinguishes  
us1 and which seems to destine us for   
great things2 it is the value we        
insensibly set upon ourselves2 it is by 
this quality that we gain the deference 
of other men1 and it is this which      
commonly raises us more above them1 than
 birth1 rank1 or even merit itself4     
#djj4--,there may be talent without     

position1 but there is no position      
without some kind of talent4            
#dja4--,rank is to merit what dress is  
to a pretty woman4   #djb4--,what we    
find the least of in flirtation is love4
   #djc4--;,fortune sometimes uses our  
faults to exalt us1 and there are       
tiresome people whose deserts would be  
ill rewarded if we did not desire to    
purchase their absence4   #djd4--;,it   
appears that nature has hid at the      
bottom of our hearts talents and        
abilities unknown to us4 ,it is only the
 passions that have the power of        
bringing them to light1 and sometimes   
give us views more true and more perfect
 than art could possibly do4            
#dje4--,we reach quite inexperienced the
 different stages of life1 and often1 in
 spite of the number of our years1 we   
lack experience4  ,to most men          
experience is like the stern lights of a
 ship which illumine only the track it  
has passed4-- ,coleridge4               
#djf4--;,flirts make it a point of      

honour to be jealous of their lovers1 to
 conceal their envy of other women4     
#djg4--;,it may well be that those who  
have trapped us by their tricks do not  
seem to us so foolish as we seem to     
ourselves when trapped by the tricks of 
others4   #djh4--,the most dangerous    
folly of old persons who have been      
loveable is to forget that they are no  
longer so4  ,every woman who is not     
absolutely ugly thinks herself handsome4
 ,the suspicion of age no woman1 let her
 be ever so old1 forgives4--,lord       
,chesterfield1 ,letter #abi4            
#dji4--,we should often be ashamed of   
our very best actions if the world only 
saw the motives which caused them4      
#daj4--,the greatest effort of          
friendship is not to show our faults to 
a friend1 but to show him his own4      
#dll4--,we have few faults which are not
 far more excusable than the means we   
adopt to hide them4   #dab4--,whatever  
disgrace we may have deserved1 it is    
almost always in our power to           

re-establish our character4  ,this is   
hardly a period at which the most       
irregular character may not be redeemed4
 ,the mistakes of one sin find a retreat
 in patriotism1 those of the other in   
devotion4 --,junius1 ,letter ,to ,the   
,king4   #dac4--;,a man cannot please   
long who has only one kind of wit4      
,according to ,segrais this maxim was a 
hit at ,racine and ,boileau1 who1       
despising ordinary conversation1 talked 
incessantly of literature2 but there is 
some doubt as to ,segrais'              
statement4--,aime ,martin4              
#dad4--;,idiots and lunatics see only   
their own wit4  #dae4--,wit sometimes   
enables us to act rudely with impunity4 
#daf4--,the vivacity which increases in 
old age is not far removed from folly4  
,how ill white hairs become a fool and  
jester4-- ,shakespeare1 ,king ,henry    
,,iv1 ,part ,,ii1 ,act4 ,v1 ,scene ,v1  
,king4  ,can age itself forget that you 
are now in the last act of life8 ,can   
grey hairs make folly venerable1 and is 

there no period to be reserved for      
meditation or retirement4-- ,junius1 ,to
 ,the ,duke ,of ,bedford1 #aith ,sept4  
#agfi4   #dag4--;,in love the quickest  
is always the best cure4   #dah4--,young
 women who do not want to appear flirts1
 and old men who do not want to appear  
ridiculous1 should not talk of love as a
 matter wherein they can have any       
interest4   #dai4--,we may seem great in
 a post beneath our capacity1 but we    
oftener seem little in a post above it4 
#dbj4--,we often believe we have        
constancy in misfortune when we have    
nothing but debasement1 and we suffer   
misfortunes without regarding them as   
cowards who let themselves be killed    
from fear of defending themselves4      
#dba4--;,conceit causes more            
conversation than wit4   #dbb4--;,all   
passions make us commit some faults1    
love alone makes us ridiculous4  ,in    
love we all are fools alike4--,gay1 ,the
 ,beggar's ,opera1 7#agbh71 ,act ,,iii1 
,scene ,i1 ,lucy4   #dbc4--;,few know   

how to be old4   #dbd4--,we often credit
 ourselves with vices the reverse of    
what we have1 thus when weak we boast of
 our obstinacy4   #dbe4--,penetration   
has a spice of divination in it which   
tickles our vanity more than any other  
quality of the mind4   #dbf4--,the charm
 of novelty and old custom1 however     
opposite to each other1 equally blind us
 to the faults of our friends4  ,two    
things the most opposite blind us       
equally1 custom and novelty4-,la        
,bruyere1 ,des ,judgements4             
#dbg4--,most friends sicken us of       
friendship1 most devotees of devotion4  
#dbh4--,we easily forgive in our friends
 those faults we do not perceive4       
#dbi4--,women who love1 pardon more     
readily great indiscretions than little 
infidelities4   #dcj4--;,in the old age 
of love as in life we still survive for 
the evils1 though no longer for the     
pleasures4  ,the youth of friendship is 
better than its old age4 --,hazlitt's   
,characteristics1 #bbi4                 

#dca4--,nothing prevents our being      
unaffected so much as our desire to seem
 so4   #dcb4--,to praise good actions   
heartily is in some measure to take part
 in them4   #dcc4--,the most certain    
sign of being born with great qualities 
is to be born without envy4  ,nemo      
alienae virtuti invidet qui satis       
confidet suae4 --,cicero ,in ,marc ,ant4
   #dcd4--,when our friends have        
deceived us we owe them but indifference
 to the tokens of their friendship1 yet 
for their misfortunes we always owe them
 pity4   #dce4--,luck and temper rule   
the world4   #dcf4--;,it is far easier  
to know men than to know man4           
#dcg4--,we should not judge of a man's  
merit by his great abilities1 but by the
 use he makes of them4   #dch4--,there  
is a certain lively gratitude which not 
only releases us from benefits received1
 but which also1 by making a return to  
our friends as payment1 renders them    
indebted to us4  ,and understood not    
that a grateful mind1 ,by owing owes    

not1 but is at once ,indebted and       
discharged4 ,milton4 ,paradise ,lost4   
#dci4--,we should earnestly desire but  
few things if we clearly knew what we   
desired4   #ddj4--,the cause why the    
majority of women are so little given to
 friendship is1 that it is insipid after
 having felt love4  ,those who have     
experienced a great passion neglect     
friendship1 and those who have united   
themselves to friendship have nought to 
do with love4--,la ,bruyere4 ,du ,coeur4
   #dda4--;,as in friendship so in love1
 we are often happier from ignorance    
than from knowledge4   #ddb4--,we try to
 make a virtue of vices we are loth to  
correct4   #ddc4--,the most violent     
passions give some respite1 but vanity  
always disturbs us4   #ddd4--,old fools 
are more foolish than young fools4      
,malvolio4 ,infirmity1 that decays the  
wise1 doth ever make the better fool4   
,clown4 ,god send you1 sir1 a speedy    
infirmity1 for the better increasing of 
your folly4--,shakespeare4 ,twelfth     

,night1 ,act ,i1 ,scene ,v4             
#dde4--,weakness is more hostile to     
virtue than vice4   #ddf4--,what makes  
the grief of shame and jealousy so acute
 is that vanity cannot aid us in        
enduring them4   #ddg4--,propriety is   
the least of all laws1 but the most     
obeyed4  ,honour has its supreme laws1  
to which education is bound to          
conform4444,those things which honour   
forbids are more rigorously forbidden   
when the laws do not concur in the      
prohibition1 and those it commands are  
more strongly insisted upon when they   
happen not to be commanded by           
law4--,montesquieu1 ,the ,spirit ,of    
,laws1 b4 #d1 c4 ii4   #ddh4--;,a       
well-trained mind has less difficulty in
 submitting to than in guiding an       
ill-trained mind4   #ddi4--,when fortune
 surprises us by giving us some great   
office without having gradually led us  
to expect it1 or without having raised  
our hopes1 it is well nigh impossible to
 occupy it well1 and to appear worthy to

 fill it4   #dej4--,our pride is often  
increased by what we retrench from our  
other faults4  ,the loss of sensual     
pleasures was supplied and compensated  
by spiritual pride4--,gibbon4 ,decline  
,and ,fall1 chap4 xv4   #dea4--,no fools
 so wearisome as those who have some    
wit4   #deb4--,no one believes that in  
every respect he is behind the man he   
considers the ablest in the world4      
#dec4--;,in great matters we should not 
try so much to create opportunities as  
to utilise those that offer themselves4 
,yet ,lord ,bacon says ,a wise man will 
make more opportunities than he         
finds4--,essays1 7#afbe71 ,of           
,ceremonies and ,respects               
#ded4--,there are few occasions when we 
should make a bad bargain by giving up  
the good on condition that no ill was   
said of us4   #dee4--;,however disposed 
the world may be to judge wrongly1 it   
far oftener favours false merit than    
does justice to true4                   
#def4--,sometimes we meet a fool with   

wit1 never one with discretion4         
#deg4--,we should gain more by letting  
the world see what we are than by trying
 to seem what we are not4   #deh4--,our 
enemies come nearer the truth in the    
opinions they form of us than we do in  
our opinion of ourselves4               
#dei4--,there are many remedies to cure 
love1 yet none are infallible4          
#dfj4--;,it would be well for us if we  
knew all our passions make us do4       
#dfa4--;,age is a tyrant who forbids at 
the penalty of life all the pleasures of
 youth4   #dfb4--,the same pride which  
makes us blame faults from which we     
believe ourselves free causes us to     
despise the good qualities we have not4 
#dfc4--,there is often more pride than  
goodness in our grief for our enemies'  
miseries2 it is to show how superior we 
are to them1 that we bestow on them the 
sign of our compassion4   #dfd4--,there 
exists an excess of good and evil which 
surpasses our comprehension4            
#dfe4--;,innocence is most fortunate if 

it finds the same protection as crime4  
#dff4--,of all the violent passions the 
one that becomes a woman best is love4  
#dfg4--,vanity makes us sin more against
 our taste than reason4   #dfh4--,some  
bad qualities form great talents4       
#dfi4--,we never desire earnestly what  
we desire in reason4   #dgj4--;,all our 
qualities are uncertain and doubtful1   
both the good as well as the bad1 and   
nearly all are creatures of             
opportunities4   #dga4--;,in their first
 passion women love their lovers1 in all
 the others they love love4  ,in her    
first passion woman loves her lover1 ,in
 all her others what she loves is love4 
--,lord ,byron1 ,don ,juan1 ,canto iii41
 stanza #c4 ,we truly love once1 the    
first time2 the subsequent passions are 
more or less involuntary4 ,la ,bruyere3 
,du ,coeur4   #dgb4--,pride as the other
 passions has its follies4 ,we are      
ashamed to own we are jealous1 and yet  
we plume ourselves in having been and   
being able to be so4   #dgc4--;,however 

rare true love is1 true friendship is   
rarer4  ,it is more common to see       
perfect love than real friendship4--,la 
,bruyere4 ,du ,coeur4   #dgd4--,there   
are few women whose charm survives their
 beauty4   #dge4--,the desire to be     
pitied or to be admired often forms the 
greater part of our confidence4         
#dgf4--,our envy always lasts longer    
than the happiness of those we envy4    
#dgg4--,the same firmness that enables  
us to resist love enables us to make our
 resistance durable and lasting4 ,so    
weak persons who are always excited by  
passions are seldom really possessed of 
any4   #dgh4--;,fancy does not enable us
 to invent so many different            
contradictions as there are by nature in
 every heart4   #dgi4--;,it is only     
people who possess firmness who can     
possess true gentleness4 ,in those who  
appear gentle it is generally only      
weakness1 which is readily converted    
into harshness4   #dhj4--,timidity is a 
fault which is dangerous to blame in    

those we desire to cure of it4          
#dha4--,nothing is rarer than true good 
nature1 those who think they have it are
 generally only pliant or weak4         
#dhb4--,the mind attaches itself by     
idleness and habit to whatever is easy  
or pleasant4 ,this habit always places  
bounds to our knowledge1 and no one has 
ever yet taken the pains to enlarge and 
expand his mind to the full extent of   
its capacities4   #dhc4--,usually we are
 more satirical from vanity than malice4
   #dhd4--,when the heart is still      
disturbed by the relics of a passion it 
is proner to take up a new one than when
 wholly cured4   #dhe4--,those who have 
had great passions often find all their 
lives made miserable in being cured of  
them4   #dhf4--,more persons exist      
without self-love than without envy4  ,i
 do not believe that there is a human   
creature in his senses arrived at       
maturity1 that at some time or other has
 not been carried away by this passion  
7envy7 in good earnest1 and yet ,i never

 met with any who dared own he was      
guilty of it1 but in jest4--,mandeville3
 ,fable ,of ,the ,bees2 ,remark ,n4     
#dhg4--,we have more idleness in the    
mind than in the body4   #dhh4--,the    
calm or disturbance of our mind does not
 depend so much on what we regard as the
 more important things of life1 as in a 
judicious or injudicious arrangement of 
the little things of daily occurrence4  
#dhi4--;,however wicked men may be1 they
 do not dare openly to appear the       
enemies of virtue1 and when they desire 
to persecute her they either pretend to 
believe her false or attribute crimes to
 her4   #dij4--,we often go from love to
 ambition1 but we never return from     
ambition to love4  ,men commence by     
love1 finish by ambition1 and do not    
find a quieter seat while they remain   
there4--,la ,bruyere3 ,du ,coeur4       
#dia4--;,extreme avarice is nearly      
always mistaken1 there is no passion    
which is oftener further away from its  
mark1 nor upon which the present has so 

much power to the prejudice of the      
future4   #dib4--;,avarice often        
produces opposite results3 there are an 
infinite number of persons who sacrifice
 their property to doubtful and distant 
expectations1 others mistake great      
future advantages for small present     
interests4  ,aime ,martin says1 ,the    
author here confuses greediness1 the    
desire and avarice--passions which      
probably have a common origin1 but      
produce different results4 ,the greedy  
man is nearly always desirous to        
possess1 and often foregoes great future
 advantages for small present interests4
 ,the avaricious man1 on the other hand1
 mistakes present advantages for the    
great expectations of the future4 ,both 
desire to possess and enjoy4 ,but the   
miser possesses and enjoys nothing but  
the pleasure of possessing2 he risks    
nothing1 gives nothing1 hopes nothing1  
his life is centred in his strong box1  
beyond that he has no want4             
#dic4--;,it appears that men do not find

 they have enough faults1 as they       
increase the number by certain peculiar 
qualities that they affect to assume1   
and which they cultivate with so great  
assiduity that at length they become    
natural faults1 which they can no longer
 correct4   #did4--,what makes us see   
that men know their faults better than  
we imagine1 is that they are never wrong
 when they speak of their conduct2 the  
same self-love that usually blinds them 
enlightens them1 and gives them such    
true views as to make them suppress or  
disguise the smallest thing that might  
be censured4   #die4--,young men        
entering life should be either shy or   
bold2 a solemn and sedate manner usually
 degenerates into impertinence4         
#dif4--,quarrels would not last long if 
the fault was only on one side4         
#dig4--;,it is valueless to a woman to  
be young unless pretty1 or to be pretty 
unless young4   #dih4--,some persons are
 so frivolous and fickle that they are  
as far removed from real defects as from

 substantial qualities4   #dii4--,we do 
not usually reckon a woman's first      
flirtation until she has had a second4  
#ejj4--,some people are so self-occupied
 that when in love they find a mode by  
which to be engrossed with the passion  
without being so with the person they   
love4   #eja4--,love1 though so very    
agreeable1 pleases more by its ways than
 by itself4   #ejb4--;,a little wit with
 good sense bores less in the long run  
than much wit with ill nature4          
#ejc4--;,jealousy is the worst of all   
evils1 yet the one that is least pitied 
by those who cause it4   #ejd4--,thus   
having treated of the hollowness of so  
many apparent virtues1 it is but just to
 say something on the hollowness of the 
contempt for death4 ,i allude to that   
contempt of death which the heathen     
boasted they derived from their unaided 
understanding1 without the hope of a    
future state4 ,there is a difference    
between meeting death with courage and  
despising it4 ,the first is common      

enough1 the last ,i think always        
feigned4 ,yet everything that could be  
has been written to persuade us that    
death is no evil1 and the weakest of    
men1 equally with the bravest1 have     
given many noble examples on which to   
found such an opinion1 still ,i do not  
think that any man of good sense has    
ever yet believed in it4 ,and the pains 
we take to persuade others as well as   
ourselves amply show that the task is   
far from easy4 ,for many reasons we may 
be disgusted with life1 but for none may
 we despise it4 ,not even those who     
commit suicide regard it as a light     
matter1 and are as much alarmed and     
startled as the rest of the world if    
death meets them in a different way than
 the one they have selected4 ,the       
difference we observe in the courage of 
so great a number of brave men1 is from 
meeting death in a way different from   
what they imagined1 when it shows itself
 nearer at one time than at another4    
,thus it ultimately happens that having 

despised death when they were ignorant  
of it1 they dread it when they become   
acquainted with it4 ,if we could avoid  
seeing it with all its surroundings1 we 
might perhaps believe that it was not   
the greatest of evils4 ,the wisest and  
bravest are those who take the best     
means to avoid reflecting on it1 as     
every man who sees it in its real light 
regards it as dreadful4 ,the necessity  
of dying created all the constancy of   
philosophers4 ,they thought it but right
 to go with a good grace when they could
 not avoid going1 and being unable to   
prolong their lives indefinitely1       
nothing remained but to build an        
immortal reputation1 and to save from   
the general wreck all that could be     
saved4 ,to put a good face upon it1 let 
it suffice1 not to say all that we think
 to ourselves1 but rely more on our     
nature than on our fallible reason1     
which might make us think we could      
approach death with indifference4 ,the  
glory of dying with courage1 the hope of

 being regretted1 the desire to leave   
behind us a good reputation1 the        
assurance of being enfranchised from the
 miseries of life and being no longer   
dependent on the wiles of fortune1 are  
resources which should not be passed    
over4 ,but we must not regard them as   
infallible4 ,they should affect us in   
the same proportion as a single shelter 
affects those who in war storm a        
fortress4 ,at a distance they think it  
may afford cover1 but when near they    
find it only a feeble protection4 ,it is
 only deceiving ourselves to imagine    
that death1 when near1 will seem the    
same as at a distance1 or that our      
feelings1 which are merely weaknesses1  
are naturally so strong that they will  
not suffer in an attack of the rudest of
 trials4 ,it is equally as absurd to try
 the effect of self-esteem and to think 
it will enable us to count as naught    
what will of necessity destroy it4 ,and 
the mind in which we trust to find so   
many resources will be far too weak in  

the struggle to persuade us in the way  
we wish4 ,for it is this which betrays  
us so frequently1 and which1 instead of 
filling us with contempt of death1      
serves but to show us all that is       
frightful and fearful4 ,the most it can 
do for us is to persuade us to avert our
 gaze and fix it on other objects4 ,cato
 and ,brutus each selected noble ones4  
,a lackey sometime ago contented himself
 by dancing on the scaffold when he was 
about to be broken on the wheel4 ,so    
however diverse the motives they but    
realize the same result4 ,for the rest  
it is a fact that whatever difference   
there may be between the peer and the   
peasant1 we have constantly seen both   
the one and the other meet death with   
the same composure4 ,still there is     
always this difference1 that the        
contempt the peer shows for death is but
 the love of fame which hides death from
 his sight2 in the peasant it is but the
 result of his limited vision that hides
 from him the extent of the evil1 end   

leaves him free to reflect on other     
things4     ,,the ,,first ,,supplement  
,the following reflections are extracted
 from the first two editions of ,la     
,rochefoucauld1 having been suppressed  
by the author in succeeding issues4     
,i4--,self-love is the love of self1 and
 of all things for self4 ,it makes men  
self-worshippers1 and if fortune permits
 them1 causes them to tyrannize over    
others2 it is never quiet when out of   
itself1 and only rests upon other       
subjects as a bee upon flowers1 to      
extract from them its proper food4      
,nothing is so headstrong as its        
desires1 nothing so well concealed as   
its designs1 nothing so skilful as its  
management2 its suppleness is beyond    
description2 its changes surpass those  
of the metamorphoses1 its refinements   
those of chemistry4 ,we can neither     
plumb the depths nor pierce the shades  
of its recesses4 ,therein it is hidden  
from the most far-seeing eyes1 therein  
it takes a thousand imperceptible folds4

 ,there it is often to itself invisible2
 it there conceives1 there nourishes and
 rears1 without being aware of it1      
numberless loves and hatreds1 some so   
monstrous that when they are brought to 
light it disowns them1 and cannot       
resolve to avow them4 ,in the night     
which covers it are born the ridiculous 
persuasions it has of itself1 thence    
come its errors1 its ignorance1 its     
silly mistakes2 thence it is led to     
believe that its passions which sleep   
are dead1 and to think that it has lost 
all appetite for that of which it is    
sated4 ,but this thick darkness which   
conceals it from itself does not hinder 
it from seeing that perfectly which is  
out of itself2 and in this it resembles 
our eyes which behold all1 and yet      
cannot set their own forms4 ,in fact1 in
 great concerns and important matters   
when the violence of its desires summons
 all its attention1 it sees1 feels1     
hears1 imagines1 suspects1 penetrates1  
divines all3 so that we might think that

 each of its passions had a magic power 
proper to it4 ,nothing is so close and  
strong as its attachments1 which1 in    
sight of the extreme misfortunes which  
threaten it1 it vainly attempts to      
break4 ,yet sometimes it effects that   
without trouble and quickly1 which it   
failed to do with its whole power and in
 the course of years1 whence we may     
fairly conclude that it is by itself    
that its desires are inflamed1 rather   
than by the beauty and merit of its     
objects1 that its own taste embellishes 
and heightens them2 that it is itself   
the game it pursues1 and that it follows
 eagerly when it runs after that upon   
which itself is eager4 ,it is made up of
 contraries4 ,it is imperious and       
obedient1 sincere and false1 piteous and
 cruel1 timid and bold4 ,it has         
different desires according to the      
diversity of temperaments1 which turn   
and fix it sometimes upon riches1       
sometimes on pleasures4 ,it changes     
according to our age1 our fortunes1 and 

our hopes2 it is quite indifferent      
whether it has many or one1 because it  
can split itself into many portions1 and
 unite in one as it pleases4 ,it is     
inconstant1 and besides the changes     
which arise from strange causes it has  
an infinity born of itself1 and of its  
own substance4 ,it is inconstant through
 inconstancy1 of lightness1 love1       
novelty1 lassitude and distaste4 ,it is 
capricious1 and one sees it sometimes   
work with intense eagerness and with    
incredible labour to obtain things of   
little use to it which are even hurtful1
 but which it pursues because it wishes 
for them4 ,it is silly1 and often throws
 its whole application on the utmost    
frivolities4 ,it finds all its pleasure 
in the dullest matters1 and places its  
pride in the most contemptible4 ,it is  
seen in all states of life1 and in all  
conditions2 it lives everywhere and upon
 everything2 it subsists on nothing2 it 
accommodates itself either to things or 
to the want of them2 it goes over to    

those who are at war with it1 enters    
into their designs1 and1 this is        
wonderful1 it1 with them1 hates even    
itself2 it conspires for its own loss1  
it works towards its own ruin--in fact1 
caring only to exist1 and providing that
 it may be1 it will be its own enemy6   
,we must therefore not be surprised if  
it is sometimes united to the rudest    
austerity1 and if it enters so boldly   
into partnership to destroy her1 because
 when it is rooted out in one place it  
re-establishes itself in another4 ,when 
it fancies that it abandons its pleasure
 it merely changes or suspends its      
enjoyment4 ,when even it is conquered in
 its full flight1 we find that it       
triumphs in its own defeat4 ,here then  
is the picture of self-love whereof the 
whole of our life is but one long       
agitation4 ,the sea is its living image2
 and in the flux and reflux of its      
continuous waves there is a faithful    
expression of the stormy succession of  
its thoughts and of its eternal motion4 

7,edition of #affe1 ,no4 #a47           
,,ii4--,passions are only the different 
degrees of the heat or coldness of the  
blood4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ac47               
,,iii4--,moderation in good fortune is  
but apprehension of the shame which     
follows upon haughtiness1 or a fear of  
losing what we have4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ah47 
,,iv4--,moderation is like temperance in
 eating2 we could eat more but we fear  
to make ourselves ill4 7#affe1 ,no4     
#ba47  ,v4--,everybody finds that to    
abuse in another which he finds worthy  
of abuse in himself4 7#affe1 ,no4 #cc47 
,,vi4--,pride1 as if tired of its       
artifices and its different             
metamorphoses1 after having solely      
filled the divers parts of the comedy of
 life1 exhibits itself with its natural 
face1 and is discovered by haughtiness2 
so much so that we may truly say that   
haughtiness is but the flash and open   
declaration of pride4 7#affe1 ,no4 #cg47
  ,,vii4--,one kind of happiness is to  
know exactly at what point to be        

miserable4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ec47           
,,viii4--,when we do not find peace of  
mind 7,,repos7 in ourselves it is       
useless to seek it elsewhere4 7#affe1   
,no4 #ec47  ,,ix4--,one should be able  
to answer for one's fortune1 so as to be
 able to answer for what we shall do4   
7#affe1 ,no4 #gj47  ,x4--,love is to the
 soul of him who loves1 what the soul is
 to the body which it animates4 7#affe1 
,no4 #gg47  ,,xi4--,as one is never at  
liberty to love or to cease from loving1
 the lover cannot with justice complain 
of the inconstancy of his mistress1 nor 
she of the fickleness of her lover4     
7#affe1 ,no4 #ha47  ,,xii4--,justice in 
those judges who are moderate is but a  
love of their place4 7#affe1 ,no4 #hi47 
,,xiii4--,when we are tired of loving we
 are quite content if our mistress      
should become faithless1 to loose us    
from our fidelity4 7#affe1 ,no4 #he47   
,,xiv4--,the first impulse of joy which 
we feel at the happiness of our friends 
arises neither from our natural goodness

 nor from friendship2 it is the result  
of self-love1 which flatters us with    
being lucky in our own turn1 or in      
reaping something from the good fortune 
of our friends4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ig47      
,,xv4--,in the adversity of our best    
friends we always find something which  
is not wholly displeasing to us4 7#affe1
 ,no4 #ii47  ,this gave occasion to     
,swift's celebrated ,verses on his own  
,death4 ,the four first are quoted      
opposite the title1 then follow these   
lines3-- ,this maxim more than all the  
rest1 ,is thought too base for human    
breast2 ,in all distresses of our       
friends1 ,we first consult our private  
ends2 ,while nature kindly bent to ease 
us1 ,points out some circumstance to    
please us4  ,see also ,chesterfield's   
defence of this in his #abith letter2   
they who know the deception and         
wickedness of the human heart will not  
be either romantic or blind enough to   
deny what ,rochefoucauld and ,swift have
 affirmed as a general truth4           

,,xvi4--,how shall we hope that another 
person will keep our secret if we do not
 keep it ourselves4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ajj47 
,,xvii4--,as if it was not sufficient   
that self-love should have the power to 
change itself1 it has added that of     
changing other objects1 and this it does
 in a very astonishing manner2 for not  
only does it so well disguise them that 
it is itself deceived1 but it even      
changes the state and nature of things4 
,thus1 when a female is adverse to us1  
and she turns her hate and persecution  
against us1 self-love pronounces on her 
actions with all the severity of        
justice2 it exaggerates the faults till 
they are enormous1 and looks at her good
 qualities in so disadvantageous a light
 that they become more displeasing than 
her faults4 ,if however the same female 
becomes favourable to us1 or certain of 
our interests reconcile her to us1 our  
sole self interest gives her back the   
lustre which our hatred deprived her of4
 ,the bad qualities become effaced1 the 

good ones appear with a redoubled       
advantage2 we even summon all our       
indulgence to justify the war she has   
made upon us4 ,now although all passions
 prove this truth1 that of love exhibits
 it most clearly2 for we may see a lover
 moved with rage by the neglect or the  
infidelity of her whom he loves1 and    
meditating the utmost vengeance that his
 passion can inspire4 ,nevertheless as  
soon as the sight of his beloved has    
calmed the fury of his movements1 his   
passion holds that beauty innocent2 he  
only accuses himself1 he condemns his   
condemnations1 and by the miraculous    
power of selflove1 he whitens the       
blackest actions of his mistress1 and   
takes from her all crime to lay it on   
himself4  ,no date or number is given   
for this maxim  ,,xviii4--,there are    
none who press so heavily on others as  
the lazy ones1 when they have satisfied 
their idleness1 and wish to appear      
industrious4 7#afff1 ,no4 #ia47         
,,xix4--,the blindness of men is the    

most dangerous effect of their pride2 it
 seems to nourish and augment it1 it    
deprives us of knowledge of remedies    
which can solace our miseries and can   
cure our faults4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ajb47    
,,xx4--,one has never less reason than  
when one despairs of finding it in      
others4 7#affe1 ,no4 #ajc47             
,,xxi4--,philosophers1 and ,seneca above
 all1 have not diminished crimes by     
their precepts2 they have only used them
 in the building up of pride4 7#affe1   
,no4 #aje47  ,,xxii4--,it is a proof of 
little friendship not to perceive the   
growing coolness of that of our friends4
 7#afff1 ,no4 #ig47  ,,xxiii4--,the most
 wise may be so in indifferent and      
ordinary matters1 but they are seldom so
 in their most serious affairs4 7#affe1 
,no4 #acb47  ,,xxiv4--,the most subtle  
folly grows out of the most subtle      
wisdom4 7#affe1 ,no4 #acd47             
,,xxv4--,sobriety is the love of health1
 or an incapacity to eat much4 7#affe1  
,no4 #ace47  ,,xxvi4--,we never forget  

things so well as when we are tired of  
talking of them4 7#affe1 ,no4 #add47    
,,xxvii4--,the praise bestowed upon us  
is at least useful in rooting us in the 
practice of virtue4 7#affe1 ,no4 #aee47 
,,xxviii4--,self-love takes care to     
prevent him whom we flatter from being  
him who most flatters us4 7#affe1 ,no4  
#aeg47  ,,xxix4--,men only blame vice   
and praise virtue from interest4 7#affe1
 ,no4 #aea47  ,,xxx4--,we make no       
difference in the kinds of anger1       
although there is that which is light   
and almost innocent1 which arises from  
warmth of complexion1 temperament1 and  
another very criminal1 which is1 to     
speak properly1 the fury of pride4      
7#affe1 ,no4 #aei47  ,,xxxi4--,great    
souls are not those who have fewer      
passions and more virtues than the      
common1 but those only who have greater 
designs4 7#affe1 ,no4 #afa47            
,,xxxii4--,kings do with men as with    
pieces of money2 they make them bear    
what value they will1 and one is forced 

to receive them according to their      
currency value1 and not at their true   
worth4 7#affe1 ,no4 #afe47  ,see ,burns1
 ,for ,a' ,that ,an ,a' ,that-- ,the    
rank is but the guinea's stamp1 ,the    
man's the gowd for a' that4 ,also       
,farquhar and other parallel passages   
pointed out in ,familiar ,words4        
,,xxxiii4--,natural ferocity makes fewer
 people cruel than self-love4 7#affe1   
,no4 #agd47  ,,xxxiv4--,one may say of  
all our virtues as an ,italian poet says
 of the propriety of women1 that it is  
often merely the art of appearing       
chaste4 7#affe1 ,no4 #agf47             
,,xxxv4--,there are crimes which become 
innocent and even glorious by their     
brilliancy199 their number1 or their    
excess2 thus it happens that public     
robbery is called financial skill1 and  
the unjust capture of provinces is      
called a conquest4 7#affe1 ,no4 #aib47  
99,some crimes may be excused by their  
brilliancy1 such as      those of ,jael1
 of ,deborah1 of ,brutus1 and of        

,charlotte      ,corday--further than   
this the maxim is satire4               
,,xxxvi4--,one never finds in man good  
or evil in excess4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bja47  
,,xxxvii4--,those who are incapable of  
committing great crimes do not easily   
suspect others4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bjh47     
,the text incorrectly numbers this maxim
 as #ejh4 ,it is #bjh4  ,,xxxviii4--,the
 pomp of funerals concerns rather the   
vanity of the living1 than the honour of
 the dead4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bac47          
,,xxxix4--,whatever variety and change  
appears in the world1 we may remark a   
secret chain1 and a regulated order of  
all time by ,providence1 which makes    
everything follow in due rank and fall  
into its destined course4 7#affe1 ,no4  
#bbe47  ,,xl4--,intrepidity should      
sustain the heart in conspiracies in    
place of valour which alone furnishes   
all the firmness which is necessary for 
the perils of war4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bca47  
,,xli4--,those who wish to define       
victory by her birth will be tempted to 

imitate the poets1 and to call her the  
,daughter of ,heaven1 since they cannot 
find her origin on earth4 ,truly she is 
produced from an infinity of actions1   
which instead of wishing to beget her1  
only look to the particular interests of
 their masters1 since all those who     
compose an army1 in aiming at their own 
rise and glory1 produce a good so great 
and general4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bcb47        
,,xlii4--,that man who has never been in
 danger cannot answer for his courage4  
7#affe1 ,no4 #bcf47  ,,xliii4--,we more 
often place bounds on our gratitude than
 on our desires and our hopes4 7#affe1  
,no4 #bda47  ,,xliv4--,imitation is     
always unhappy1 for all which is        
counterfeit displeases by the very      
things which charm us when they are     
original 7,naturelles74 7#affe1 ,no4    
#bde47  ,,xlv4--,we do not regret the   
loss of our friends according to their  
merits1 but according to ,,our wants1   
and the opinion with which we believed  
we had impressed them of our worth4     

7#affe1 ,no4 #bdh47  ,,xlvi4--,it is    
very hard to separate the general       
goodness spread all over the world from 
great cleverness4 7#affe1 ,no4 #beb47   
,,xlvii4--,for us to be always good1    
others should believe that they cannot  
behave wickedly to us with impunity4    
7#affe1 ,no4 #bed47  ,,xlviii4--,a      
confidence in being able to please is   
often an infallible means of being      
displeasing4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bef47        
,,xlix4--,the confidence we have in     
ourselves arises in a great measure from
 that that we have in others4 7#affe1   
,no4 #beh47  ,l4--,there is a general   
revolution which changes the tastes of  
the mind as well as the fortunes of the 
world4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bej47              
,,li4--,truth is foundation and the     
reason of the perfection of beauty1 for 
of whatever stature a thing may be1 it  
cannot be beautiful and perfect unless  
it be truly that she should be1 and     
possess truly all that she should have  
7#affe1 ,no4 #bfj47  ,beauty is truth1  

truth beauty4--,john ,keats1 ,ode on a a
 ,grecian ,urn1 7#ahbj71 ,stanza #e     
,,lii4--,there are fine things which are
 more brilliant when unfinished than    
when finished too much4 7#affe1 ,no4    
#bfb47  ,,liii4--,magnanimity is a noble
 effort of pride which makes a man      
master of himself1 to make him master of
 all things4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bga47        
,,liv4--,luxury and too refined a policy
 in states are a sure presage of their  
fall1 because all parties looking after 
their own interest turn away from the   
public good4 7#affe1 ,no4 #bhb47        
,,lv4--,of all passions that which is   
least known to us is idleness2 she is   
the most ardent and evil of all1        
although her violence may be insensible1
 and the evils she causes concealed2 if 
we consider her power attentively we    
shall find that in all encounters she   
makes herself mistress of our           
sentiments1 our interests1 and our      
pleasures2 like the 7fabled7 ,remora1   
she can stop the greatest vessels1 she  

is a hidden rock1 more dangerous in the 
most important matters than sudden      
squalls and the most violent tempests4  
,the repose of idleness is a magic charm
 which suddenly suspends the most ardent
 pursuits and the most obstinate        
resolutions4 ,in fact to give a true    
notion of this passion we must add that 
idleness1 like a beatitude of the soul1 
consoles us for all losses and fills the
 vacancy of all our wants4 7#affe1 ,no4 
#bij47  ,,lvi4--,we are very fond of    
reading others' characters1 but we do   
not like to be read ourselves4 7#affe1  
,no4 #bif47  ,,lvii4--,what a tiresome  
malady is that which forces one to      
preserve your health by a severe        
regimen4 7,ibid1 ,no4 #bih47            
,,lviii4--,it is much easier to take    
love when one is free1 than to get rid  
of it after having taken it4 7#affe1    
,no4 #cjj47  ,,lix4--,women for the most
 part surrender themselves more from    
weakness than from passion4 ,whence it  
is that bold and pushing men succeed    

better than others1 although they are   
not so loveable4 7#affe1 ,no4 #cja47    
,,lx4--,not to love is in love1 an      
infallible means of being beloved4      
7#affe1 ,no4 #cjb47  ,,lxi4--,the       
sincerity which lovers and mistresses   
ask that both should know when they     
cease to love each other1 arises much   
less from a wish to be warned of the    
cessation of love1 than from a desire to
 be assured that they are beloved       
although no one denies it4 7#affe1 ,no4 
#cjc47  ,,lxii4--,the most just         
comparison of love is that of a fever1  
and we have no power over either1 as to 
its violence or its duration4 7#affe1   
,no4 #cje47  ,,lxiii4--,the greatest    
skill of the least skilful is to know   
how to submit to the direction of       
another4 7#affe1 ,no4 #cji47            
,,lxiv4--,we always fear to see those   
whom we love when we have been flirting 
with others4 7#afgd1 ,no4 #cgb47        
,,lxv4--,we ought to console ourselves  
for our faults when we have strength    

enough to own them4 7#afgd1 ,no4 #cge47 
,the date of the previous two maxims is 
incorrectly cited as #affe in the text4 
,i found this date immediately suspect  
because the translators' introduction   
states that the #affe edition only had  
#caf maxims4 ,in fact1 the two maxims   
only appeared in the fourth of the first
 five editions 7#afgd74     ,,second    
,,supplement4  ,,reflections1           
,,extracted ,,from ,,ms4 ,,letters ,,in 
,,the ,,royal ,,library499       99,a   
,la ,bibliotheque ,du ,roi1 it is       
difficult at present 7,june      #ahga7 
to assign a name to the magnificent     
collection of      books in ,paris1 the 
property of the nation4                 
,,lxvi4--,interest is the soul of       
self-love1 in as much as when the body  
deprived of its soul is without sight1  
feeling or knowledge1 without thought or
 movement1 so self-love1 riven so to    
speak from its interest1 neither sees1  
nor hears1 nor smells1 nor moves2 thus  
it is that the same man who will run    

over land and sea for his own interest  
becomes suddenly paralyzed when engaged 
for that of others2 from this arises    
that sudden dulness and1 as it were1    
death1 with which we afflict those to   
whom we speak of our own matters2 from  
this also their sudden resurrection when
 in our narrative we relate something   
concerning them2 from this we find in   
our conversations and business that a   
man becomes dull or bright just as his  
own interest is near to him or distant  
from him4 7,letter ,to ,madame ,de      
,sable1 ,ms41 ,fol4 #baa47              
,,lxvii4--,why we cry out so much       
against maxims which lay bare the heart 
of man1 is because we fear that our own 
heart shall be laid bare4 7,maxim #ajc1 
,,ms41 fol4 #caj4997       99,the reader
 will recognise in these extracts       
portions of the      ,maxims previously 
given1 sometimes the author has         
carefully      polished them2 at other  
times the words are identical4 ,our     
numbers will indicate where they are to 

be found in the      foregoing          
collection4   ,,lxviii4--,hope and fear 
are inseparable4 7,to ,madame ,de       
,sable1 ,ms41 ,fol4 #bbb1 ,,max4 #afh47 
,,lxix4--,it is a common thing to hazard
 life to escape dishonour2 but1 when    
this is done1 the actor takes very      
little pain to make the enterprise      
succeed in which he is engaged1 and     
certain it is that they who hazard their
 lives to take a city or to conquer a   
province are better officers1 have more 
merit1 and wider and more useful1 views 
than they who merely expose themselves  
to vindicate their honour2 it is very   
common to find people of the latter     
class1 very rare to find those of the   
former4 7,letter ,to ,m4 ,esprit1 ,ms41 
,fol4 #agc1 ,,max4 #bai47  ,,lxx4--,the 
taste changes1 but the will remains the 
same4 7,to ,madame ,de ,sable1 ,fol4    
#bbc1 ,max4 #beb47  ,,lxxi4--,the power 
which women whom we love have over us is
 greater than that which we have over   
ourselves4 7,to ,the ,same1 ,ms41 ,fol4 

#baa1 ,max4 #bei7  ,,lxxii4--,that which
 makes us believe so easily that others 
have defects is that we all so easily   
believe what we wish4 7,to ,the ,same1  
,ms41 ,fol4 #bbc1 ,max4 #cig47          
,,lxxiii4--,i am perfectly aware that   
good sense and fine wit are tedious to  
every age1 but tastes are not always the
 same1 and what is good at one time will
 not seem so at another4 ,this makes me 
think that few persons know how to be   
old4 7,to ,the ,same1 ,fol4 #bjb1 ,max4 
#dbc47  ,,lxxiv4--,god has permitted1 to
 punish man for his original sin1 that  
he should be so fond of his self-love1  
that he should be tormented by it in all
 the actions of his life4 7,ms41 ,fol4  
#caj1 ,max4 #did47  ,,lxxv4--,and so far
 it seems to me the philosophy of a     
lacquey can go2 ,i believe that all     
gaity in that state of life is very     
doubtful indeed4 7,to ,madame ,de       
,sable1 ,fol4 #afa1 ,max4 #ejd47  ,in   
the maxim cited the author relates how a
 footman about to be broken on the wheel

 danced on the scaffold4 ,he seems to   
think that in his day the life of such  
servants was so miserable that their    
merriment was very doubtful4     ,,third
 ,,supplement  ,the fifty following     
,maxims are taken from the ,sixth       
,edition of the ,pensees ,de ,la        
,rochefoucauld1 published by ,claude    
,barbin1 in #afic1 more than twelve     
years after the death of the author     
7#agth ,may1 #afhj74 ,the reader will   
find some repetitions1 but also some    
very valuable maxims4  ,,lxxvi4--,many  
persons wish to be devout2 but no one   
wishes to be humble4  ,,lxxvii4--,the   
labour of the body frees us from the    
pains of the mind1 and thus makes the   
poor happy4  ,,lxxviii4--,true          
penitential sorrows 7mortifications7 are
 those which are not known1 vanity      
renders the others easy enough4         
,,lxxix4--,humility is the altar upon   
which ,god wishes that we should offer  
him his sacrifices4  ,,lxxx4--,few      
things are needed to make a wise man    

happy2 nothing can make a fool content2 
that is why most men are miserable4     
,,lxxxi4--,we trouble ourselves less to 
become happy1 than to make others       
believe we are so4  ,,lxxxii4--,it is   
more easy to extinguish the first desire
 than to satisfy those which follow4    
,,lxxxiii4--,wisdom is to the soul what 
health is to the body4  ,,lxxxiv4--,the 
great ones of the earth can neither     
command health of body nor repose of    
mind1 and they buy always at too dear a 
price the good they can acquire4        
,,lxxxv4--,before strongly desiring     
anything we should examine what         
happiness he has who possesses it4      
,,lxxxvi4--,a true friend is the        
greatest of all goods1 and that of which
 we think least of acquiring4           
,,lxxxvii4--,lovers do not wish to see  
the faults of their mistresses until    
their enchantment is at an end4         
,,lxxxviii4--,prudence and love are not 
made for each other2 in the ratio that  
love increases1 prudence diminishes4    

,,lxxxix4--,it is sometimes pleasing to 
a husband to have a jealous wife2 he    
hears her always speaking of the beloved
 object4  ,,xc4--,how much is a woman to
 be pitied who is at the same time      
possessed of virtue and love6           
,,xci4--,the wise man finds it better   
not to enter the encounter than to      
conquer4  ,somewhat similar to          
,goldsmith's sage-- ,who quits a world  
where strong temptations try1 ,and since
 'tis hard to combat1 learns to fly4    
,,xcii4--,it is more necessary to study 
men than books4  ,the proper study of   
mankind is man4--,pope ,essay ,on ,man1 
7#agcc71 ,epistle ,,ii1 line #b4        
,,xciii4--,good and evil ordinarily come
 to those who have most of one or the   
other4  ,,xciv4--,the accent and        
character of one's native country dwells
 in the mind and heart as on the tongue4
 7,repitition ,of ,maxim #cdb47         
,,xcv4--,the greater part of men have   
qualities which1 like those of plants1  
are discovered by chance4 7,repitition  

,of ,maxim #cdd47  ,,xcvi4--,a good     
woman is a hidden treasure2 he who      
discovers her will do well not to boast 
about it4 7,see ,maxim #cfh47           
,,xcvii4--,most women do not weep for   
the loss of a lover to show that they   
have been loved so much as to show that 
they are worth being loved4 7,see ,maxim
 #cfb47  ,,xcviii4--,there are many     
virtuous women who are weary of the part
 they have played4 7,see ,maxim #cfg47  
,,xcix4--,if we think we love for love's
 sake we are much mistaken4 7,see ,maxim
 #cgd47  ,c4--,the restraint we lay upon
 ourselves to be constant1 is not much  
better than an inconstancy4 7,see ,maxim
 #cfi1 #cha47  ,,ci4--,there are those  
who avoid our jealousy1 of whom we ought
 to be jealous4 7,see ,maxim #cei47     
,,cii4--,jealousy is always born with   
love1 but does not always die with it4  
7,see ,maxim #cfa47  ,,ciii4--,when we  
love too much it is difficult to        
discover when we have ceased to be      
beloved4  ,,civ4--,we know very well    

that we should not talk about our wives1
 but we do not remember that it is not  
so well to speak of ourselves4 7,see    
,maxim #cfd47  ,,cv4--,chance makes us  
known to others and to ourselves4 7,see 
,maxim #cde47  ,,cvi4--,we find very few
 people of good sense1 except those who 
are of our own opinion4 7,see ,maxim    
#cdg47  ,,cvii4--,we commonly praise the
 good hearts of those who admire us4    
7,see ,maxim #cef47  ,,cviii4--,man only
 blames himself in order that he may be 
praised4  ,,cix4--,little minds are     
wounded by the smallest things4 7,see   
,maxim #ceg47  ,,cx4--,there are certain
 faults which placed in a good light    
please more than perfection itself4     
7,see ,maxim #ced47  ,,cxi4--,that which
 makes us so bitter against those who do
 us a shrewd turn1 is because they think
 themselves more clever than we are4    
7,see ,maxim #cej47  ,,cxii4--,we are   
always bored by those whom we bore4     
7,see ,maxim #ceb47  ,,cxiii4--,the harm
 that others do us is often less than   

that we do ourselves4 7,see ,maxim      
#cfc47  ,,cxiv4--,it is never more      
difficult to speak well than when we are
 ashamed of being silent4               
,,cxv4--,those faults are always        
pardonable that we have the courage to  
avow4  ,,cxvi4--,the greatest fault of  
penetration is not that it goes to the  
bottom of a matter--but beyond it4 7,see
 ,maxim #cgg47  ,,cxvii4--,we give      
advice1 but we cannot give the wisdom to
 profit by it4 7,see ,maxim #cgh47      
,,cxviii4--,when our merit declines1 our
 taste declines also4 7,see ,maxim      
#cgi47  ,,cxix4--,fortune discovers our 
vices and our virtues1 as the light     
makes objects plain to the sight4 7,see 
,maxim #chj47  ,,cxx4--,our actions are 
like rhymed verse-ends 7,bouts-,rimes7  
which everyone turns as he pleases4     
7,see ,maxim #chb47  ,,cxxi4--,there is 
nothing more natural1 nor more          
deceptive1 than to believe that we are  
beloved4  ,,cxxii4--,we would rather see
 those to whom we have done a benefit1  

than those who have done us one4        
,,cxxiii4--,it is more difficult to hide
 the opinions we have than to feign     
those which we have not4                
,,cxxiv4--,renewed friendships require  
more care than those that have never    
been broken4  ,,cxxv4--,a man to whom no
 one is pleasing is much more unhappy   
than one who pleases nobody4            
,,reflections ,,on ,,various ,,subjects1
 ,,by ,,the ,,duke ,,de ,,la            
,,rochefoucauld  ,i4 ,on ,confidence4   
,though sincerity and confidence have   
many points of resemblance1 they have   
yet many points of difference4          
,sincerity is an openness of heart1     
which shows us what we are1 a love of   
truth1 a dislike to deception1 a wish to
 compensate our faults and to lessen    
them by the merit of confessing them4   
,confidence leaves us less liberty1 its 
rules are stricter1 it requires more    
prudence and reticence1 and we are not  
always free to give it4 ,it relates not 
only to ourselves1 since our interests  

are often mixed up with those of others2
 it requires great delicacy not to      
expose our friends in exposing          
ourselves1 not to draw upon their       
goodness to enhance the value of what we
 give4  ,confidence always pleases those
 who receive it4 ,it is a tribute we pay
 to their merit1 a deposit we commit to 
their trust1 a pledge which gives them a
 claim upon us1 a kind of dependence to 
which we voluntarily submit4 ,i do not  
wish from what ,i have said to          
depreciate confidence1 so necessary to  
man4 ,it is in society the link between 
acquaintance and friendship4 ,i only    
wish to state its limits to make it true
 and real4 ,i would that it was always  
sincere1 always discreet1 and that it   
had neither weakness nor interest4 ,i   
know it is hard to place proper limits  
on being taken into all our friends'    
confidence1 and taking them into all    
ours4  ,most frequently we make         
confidants from vanity1 a love of       
talking1 a wish to win the confidence of

 others1 and make an exchange of        
secrets4  ,some may have a motive for   
confiding in us1 towards whom we have no
 motive for confiding4 ,with them we    
discharge the obligation in keeping     
their secrets and trusting them with    
small confidences4  ,others whose       
fidelity we know trust nothing to us1   
but we confide in them by choice and    
inclination4  ,we should hide from them 
nothing that concerns us1 we should     
always show them with equal truth1 our  
virtues and our vices1 without          
exaggerating the one or diminishing the 
other4 ,we should make it a rule never  
to have half confidences4 ,they always  
embarrass those who give them1 and      
dissatisfy those who receive them4 ,they
 shed an uncertain light on what we want
 hidden1 increase curiosity1 entitling  
the recipients to know more1 giving them
 leave to consider themselves free to   
talk of what they have guessed4 ,it is  
far safer and more honest to tell       
nothing than to be silent when we have  

begun to tell4 ,there are other rules to
 be observed in matters confided to us1 
all are important1 to all prudence and  
trust are essential4  ,everyone agrees  
that a secret should be kept intact1 but
 everyone does not agree as to the      
nature and importance of secresy4 ,too  
often we consult ourselves as to what we
 should say1 what we should leave       
unsaid4 ,there are few permanent        
secrets1 and the scruple against        
revealing them will not last for ever4  
,with those friends whose truth we know 
we have the closest intimacy4 ,they have
 always spoken unreservedly to us1 we   
should always do the same to them4 ,they
 know our habits and connexions1 and see
 too clearly not to perceive the        
slightest change4 ,they may have        
elsewhere learnt what we have promised  
not to tell4 ,it is not in our power to 
tell them what has been entrusted to us1
 though it might tend to their interest 
to know it4 ,we feel as confident of    
them as of ourselves1 and we are reduced

 to the hard fate of losing their       
friendship1 which is dear to us1 or of  
being faithless as regards a secret4    
,this is doubtless the hardest test of  
fidelity1 but it should not move an     
honest man2 it is then that he can      
sacrifice himself to others4 ,his first 
duty is to rigidly keep his trust in its
 entirety4 ,he should not only control  
and guard his and his voice1 but even   
his lighter talk1 so that nothing be    
seen in his conversation or manner that 
could direct the curiosity of others    
towards that which he wishes to conceal4
  ,we have often need of strength and   
prudence wherewith to oppose the        
exigencies of most of our friends who   
make a claim on our confidence1 and seek
 to know all about us4 ,we should never 
allow them to acquire this              
unexceptionable right4 ,there are       
accidents and circumstances which do not
 fall in their cognizance2 if they      
complain1 we should endure their        
complaints and excuse ourselves with    

gentleness1 but if they are still       
unreasonable1 we should sacrifice their 
friendship to our duty1 and choose      
between two inevitable evils1 the one   
reparable1 the other irreparable4  ,,ii4
 ,on ,difference of ,character4         
,although all the qualities of mind may 
be united in a great genius1 yet there  
are some which are special and peculiar 
to him2 his views are unlimited2 he     
always acts uniformly and with the same 
activity2 he sees distant objects as if 
present2 he comprehends and grasps the  
greatest1 sees and notices the smallest 
matters2 his thoughts are elevated1     
broad1 just and intelligible4 ,nothing  
escapes his observation1 and he often   
finds truth in spite of the obscurity   
that hides her from others4  ,a lofty   
mind always thinks nobly1 it easily     
creates vivid1 agreeable1 and natural   
fancies1 places them in their best      
light1 clothes them with all appropriate
 adornments1 studies others' tastes1 and
 clears away from its own thoughts all  

that is useless and disagreeable4  ,a   
clever1 pliant1 winning mind knows how  
to avoid and overcome difficulties4     
,bending easily to what it wants1 it    
understands the inclination and temper  
it is dealing with1 and by managing     
their interests it advances and         
establishes its own4  ,a well regulated 
mind sees all things as they should be  
seen1 appraises them at their proper    
value1 turns them to its own advantage1 
and adheres firmly to its own opinions  
as it knows all their force and weight4 
,a difference exists between a working  
mind and a business-like mind4 ,we can  
undertake business without turning it to
 our own interest4 ,some are clever only
 in what does not concern them1 and the 
reverse in all that does4 ,there are    
others again whose cleverness is limited
 to their own business1 and who know how
 to turn everything to their own        
advantage4  ,it is possible to have a   
serious turn of mind1 and yet to talk   
pleasantly and cheerfully4 ,this class  

of mind is suited to all persons in all 
times of life4 ,young persons have      
usually a cheerful and satirical turn1  
untempered by seriousness1 thus often   
making themselves disagreeable4  ,no    
part is easier to play than that of     
being always pleasant2 and the applause 
we sometimes receive in censuring others
 is not worth being exposed to the      
chance of offending them when they are  
out of temper4  ,satire is at once the  
most agreeable and most dangerous of    
mental qualities4 ,it always pleases    
when it is refined1 but we always fear  
those who use it too much1 yet satire   
should be allowed when unmixed with     
spite1 and when the person satirised can
 join in the satire4  ,it is unfortunate
 to have a satirical turn without       
affecting to be pleased or without      
loving to jest4 ,it requires much       
adroitness to continue satirical without
 falling into one of these extremes4    
,raillery is a kind of mirth which takes
 possession of the imagination1 and     

shows every object in an absurd light2  
wit combines more or less softness or   
harshness4  ,there is a kind of refined 
and flattering raillery that only hits  
the faults that persons admit1 which    
understands how to hide the praise it   
gives under the appearance of blame1 and
 shows the good while feigning a wish to
 hide it4  ,an acute mind and a cunning 
mind are very dissimilar4 ,the first    
always pleases2 it is unfettered1 it    
perceives the most delicate and sees the
 most imperceptible matters4 ,a cunning 
spirit never goes straight1 it          
endeavours to secure its object by      
byeways and short cuts4 ,this conduct is
 soon found out1 it always gives rise to
 distrust and never reaches greatness4  
,there is a difference between an ardent
 and a brilliant mind1 a fiery spirit   
travels further and faster1 while a     
brilliant mind is sparkling1 attractive1
 accurate4  ,gentleness of mind is an   
easy and accommodating manner which     
always pleases when not insipid4  ,a    

mind full of details devotes itself to  
the management and regulation of the    
smallest particulars it meets with4     
,this distinction is usually limited to 
little matters1 yet it is not absolutely
 incompatible with greatness1 and when  
these two qualities are united in the   
same mind they raise it infinitely above
 others4  ,the expression ,bel ,esprit  
is much perverted1 for all that one can 
say of the different kinds of mind meet 
together in the ,bel ,esprit4 ,yet as   
the epithet is bestowed on an infinite  
number of bad poets and tedious authors1
 it is more often used to ridicule than 
to praise4  ,there are yet many other   
epithets for the mind which mean the    
same thing1 the difference lies in the  
tone and manner of saying them1 but as  
tones and manner cannot appear in       
writing ,i shall not go into            
distinctions ,i cannot explain4 ,custom 
explains this in saying that a man has  
wit1 has much wit1 that he is a great   
wit2 there are tones and manners which  

make all the difference between phrases 
which seem all alike on paper1 and yet  
express a different order of mind4  ,so 
we say that a man has only one kind of  
wit1 that he has several1 that he has   
every variety of wit4  ,one can be a    
fool with much wit1 and one need not be 
a fool even with very little wit4  ,to  
have much mind is a doubtful expression4
 ,it may mean every class of mind that  
can be mentioned1 it may mean none in   
particular4 ,it may mean that he talks  
sensibly while he acts foolishly4 ,we   
may have a mind1 but a narrow one4 ,a   
mind may be fitted for some things1 not 
for others4 ,we may have a large measure
 of mind fitted for nothing1 and one is 
often inconvenienced with much mind2    
still of this kind of mind we may say   
that it is sometimes pleasing in        
society4  ,though the gifts of the mind 
are infinite1 they can1 it seems to me1 
be thus classified4  ,there are some so 
beautiful that everyone can see and feel
 their beauty4  ,there are some lovely1 

it is true1 but which are wearisome4    
,there are some which are lovely1 which 
all the world admire1 but without       
knowing why4  ,there are some so refined
 and delicate that few are capable even 
of remarking all their beauties4  ,there
 are others which1 though imperfect1 yet
 are produced with such skill1 and      
sustained and managed with such sense   
and grace1 that they even deserve to be 
admired4  ,,iii4 ,on ,taste4  ,some     
persons have more wit than taste1 others
 have more taste than wit4 ,there is    
greater vanity and caprice in taste than
 in wit4  ,the word taste has different 
meanings1 which it is easy to mistake4  
,there is a difference between the taste
 which in certain objects has an        
attraction for us1 and the taste that   
makes us understand and distinguish the 
qualities we judge by4  ,we may like a  
comedy without having a sufficiently    
fine and delicate taste to criticise it 
accurately4 ,some tastes lead us        
imperceptibly to objects1 from which    

others carry us away by their force or  
intensity4  ,some persons have bad taste
 in everything1 others have bad taste   
only in some things1 but a correct and  
good taste in matters within their      
capacity4 ,some have peculiar taste1    
which they know to be bad1 but which    
they still follow4 ,some have a doubtful
 taste1 and let chance decide1 their    
indecision makes them change1 and they  
are affected with pleasure or weariness 
on their friends' judgment4 ,others are 
always prejudiced1 they are the slaves  
of their tastes1 which they adhere to in
 everything4 ,some know what is good1   
and are horrified at what is not2 their 
opinions are clear and true1 and they   
find the reason for their taste in their
 mind and understanding4  ,some have a  
species of instinct 7the source of which
 they are ignorant of71 and decide all  
questions that come before them by its  
aid1 and always decide rightly4  ,these 
follow their taste more than their      
intelligence1 because they do not permit

 their temper and self-love to prevail  
over their natural discernment4 ,all    
they do is in harmony1 all is in the    
same spirit4 ,this harmony makes them   
decide correctly on matters1 and form a 
correct estimate of their value4 ,but   
speaking generally there are few who    
have a taste fixed and independent of   
that of their friends1 they follow      
example and fashion which generally form
 the standard of taste4  ,in all the    
diversities of taste that we discern1 it
 is very rare and almost impossible to  
meet with that sort of good taste that  
knows how to set a price on the         
particular1 and yet understands the     
right value that should be placed on    
all4 ,our knowledge is too limited1 and 
that correct discernment of good        
qualities which goes to form a correct  
judgment is too seldom to be met with   
except in regard to matters that do not 
concern us4  ,as regards ourselves our  
taste has not this all-important        
discernment4 ,preoccupation1 trouble1   

all that concern us1 present it to us in
 another aspect4 ,we do not see with the
 same eyes what does and what does not  
relate to us4 ,our taste is guided by   
the bent of our self-love and temper1   
which supplies us with new views which  
we adapt to an infinite number of       
changes and uncertainties4 ,our taste is
 no longer our own1 we cease to control 
it1 without our consent it changes1 and 
the same objects appear to us in such   
divers aspects that ultimately we fail  
to perceive what we have seen and heard4
  ,,iv4 ,on ,society4  ,in speaking of  
society my plan is not to speak of      
friendship1 for1 though they have some  
connection1 they are yet very different4
 ,the former has more in it of greatness
 and humility1 and the greatest merit of
 the latter is to resemble the former4  
,for the present ,i shall speak of that 
particular kind of intercourse that     
gentlemen should have with each other4  
,it would be idle to show how far       
society is essential to men3 all seek   

for it1 and all find it1 but few adopt  
the method of making it pleasant and    
lasting4  ,everyone seeks to find his   
pleasure and his advantage at the       
expense of others4 ,we prefer ourselves 
always to those with whom we intend to  
live1 and they almost always perceive   
the preference4 ,it is this which       
disturbs and destroys society4 ,we      
should discover a means to hide this    
love of selection since it is too       
ingrained in us to be in our power to   
destroy4 ,we should make our pleasure   
that of other persons1 to humour1 never 
to wound their self-love4  ,the mind has
 a great part to do in so great a work1 
but it is not merely sufficient for us  
to guide it in the different courses it 
should hold4  ,the agreement we meet    
between minds would not keep society    
together for long if she was not        
governed and sustained by good sense1   
temper1 and by the consideration which  
ought to exist between persons who have 
to live together4  ,it sometimes happens

 that persons opposite in temper and    
mind become united4 ,they doubtless hold
 together for different reasons1 which  
cannot last for long4 ,society may      
subsist between those who are our       
inferiors by birth or by personal       
qualities1 but those who have these     
advantages should not abuse them4 ,they 
should seldom let it be perceived that  
they serve to instruct others4 ,they    
should let their conduct show that they1
 too1 have need to be guided and led by 
reason1 and accommodate themselves as   
far as possible to the feeling and the  
interests of the others4  ,to make      
society pleasant1 it is essential that  
each should retain his freedom of       
action4 ,a man should not see himself1  
or he should see himself without        
dependence1 and at the same time amuse  
himself4 ,he should have the power of   
separating himself without that         
separation bringing any change on the   
society4 ,he should have the power to   
pass by one and the other1 if he does   

not wish to expose himself to occasional
 embarrassments2 and he should remember 
that he is often bored when he believes 
he has not the power even to bore4 ,he  
should share in what he believes to be  
the amusement of persons with whom he   
wishes to live1 but he should not always
 be liable to the trouble of providing  
them4  ,complaisance is essential in    
society1 but it should have its limits1 
it becomes a slavery when it is extreme4
 ,we should so render a free consent1   
that in following the opinion of our    
friends they should believe that they   
follow ours4  ,we should readily excuse 
our friends when their faults are born  
with them1 and they are less than their 
good qualities4 ,we should often avoid  
to show what they have said1 and what   
they have left unsaid4 ,we should try to
 make them perceive their faults1 so as 
to give them the merit of correcting    
them4  ,there is a kind of politeness   
which is necessary in the intercourse   
among gentlemen1 it makes them          

comprehend badinage1 and it keeps them  
from using and employing certain figures
 of speech1 too rude and unrefined1     
which are often used thoughtlessly when 
we hold to our opinion with too much    
warmth4  ,the intercourse of gentlemen  
cannot subsist without a certain kind of
 confidence2 this should be equal on    
both sides4 ,each should have an        
appearance of sincerity and of          
discretion which never causes the fear  
of anything imprudent being said4       
,there should be some variety in wit4   
,those who have only one kind of wit    
cannot please for long unless they can  
take different roads1 and not both use  
the same talents1 thus adding to the    
pleasure of society1 and keeping the    
same harmony that different voices and  
different instruments should observe in 
music2 and as it is detrimental to the  
quiet of society1 that many persons     
should have the same interests1 it is   
yet as necessary for it that their      
interests should not be different4  ,we 

should anticipate what can please our   
friends1 find out how to be useful to   
them so as to exempt them from          
annoyance1 and when we cannot avert     
evils1 seem to participate in them1     
insensibly obliterate without attempting
 to destroy them at a blow1 and place   
agreeable objects in their place1 or at 
least such as will interest them4 ,we   
should talk of subjects that concern    
them1 but only so far as they like1 and 
we should take great care where we draw 
the line4 ,there is a species of        
politeness1 and we may say a similar    
species of humanity1 which does not     
enter too quickly into the recesses of  
the heart4 ,it often takes pains to     
allow us to see all that our friends    
know1 while they have still the         
advantage of not knowing to the full    
when we have penetrated the depth of the
 heart4  ,thus the intercourse between  
gentlemen at once gives them familiarity
 and furnishes them with an infinite    
number of subjects on which to talk     

freely4  ,few persons have sufficient   
tact and good sense fairly to appreciate
 many matters that are essential to     
maintain society4 ,we desire to turn    
away at a certain point1 but we do not  
want to be mixed up in everything1 and  
we fear to know all kinds of truth4  ,as
 we should stand at a certain distance  
to view objects1 so we should also stand
 at a distance to observe society2 each 
has its proper point of view from which 
it should be regarded4 ,it is quite     
right that it should not be looked at   
too closely1 for there is hardly a man  
who in all matters allows himself to be 
seen as he really is4  ,v4 ,on          
,conversation4  ,the reason why so few  
persons are agreeable in conversation is
 that each thinks more of what he       
desires to say1 than of what the others 
say1 and that we make bad listeners when
 we want to speak4  ,yet it is necessary
 to listen to those who talk1 we should 
give them the time they want1 and let   
them say even senseless things2 never   

contradict or interrupt them2 on the    
contrary1 we should enter into their    
mind and taste1 illustrate their        
meaning1 praise anything they say that  
deserves praise1 and let them see we    
praise more from our choice than from   
agreement with them4  ,to please others 
we should talk on subjects they like and
 that interest them1 avoid disputes upon
 indifferent matters1 seldom ask        
questions1 and never let them see that  
we pretend to be better informed than   
they are4  ,we should talk in a more or 
less serious manner1 and upon more or   
less abstruse subjects1 according to the
 temper and understanding of the persons
 we talk with1 and readily give them the
 advantage of deciding without obliging 
them to answer when they are not anxious
 to talk4  ,after having in this way    
fulfilled the duties of politeness1 we  
can speak our opinions to our listeners 
when we find an opportunity without a   
sign of presumption or opinionatedness4 
,above all things we should avoid often 

talking of ourselves and giving         
ourselves as an example2 nothing is more
 tiresome than a man who quotes himself 
for everything4  ,we cannot give too    
great study to find out the manner and  
the capacity of those with whom we talk1
 so as to join in the conversation of   
those who have more than ourselves      
without hurting by this preference the  
wishes or interests of others4  ,then we
 should modestly use all the modes      
abovementioned to show our thoughts to  
them1 and make them1 if possible1       
believe that we take our ideas from     
them4  ,we should never say anything    
with an air of authority1 nor show any  
superiority of mind4 ,we should avoid   
far-fetched expressions1 expressions    
hard or forced1 and never let the words 
be grander than the matter4  ,it is not 
wrong to retain our opinions if they are
 reasonable1 but we should yield to     
reason1 wherever she appears and from   
whatever side she comes1 she alone      
should govern our opinions1 we should   

follow her without opposing the opinions
 of others1 and without seeming to      
ignore what they say4  ,it is dangerous 
to seek to be always the leader of the  
conversation1 and to push a good        
argument too hard1 when we have found   
one4 ,civility often hides half its     
understanding1 and when it meets with an
 opinionated man who defends the bad    
side1 spares him the disgrace of giving 
way4  ,we are sure to displease when we 
speak too long and too often of one     
subject1 and when we try to turn the    
conversation upon subjects that we think
 more instructive than others1 we should
 enter indifferently upon every subject 
that is agreeable to others1 stopping   
where they wish1 and avoiding all they  
do not agree with4  ,every kind of      
conversation1 however witty it may be1  
is not equally fitted for all clever    
persons2 we should select what is to    
their taste and suitable to their       
condition1 their sex1 their talents1 and
 also choose the time to say it4  ,we   

should observe the place1 the occasion1 
the temper in which we find the person  
who listens to us1 for if there is much 
art in speaking to the purpose1 there is
 no less in knowing when to be silent4  
,there is an eloquent silence which     
serves to approve or to condemn1 there  
is a silence of discretion and of       
respect4 ,in a word1 there is a tone1 an
 air1 a manner1 which renders everything
 in conversation agreeable or           
disagreeable1 refined or vulgar4  ,but  
it is given to few persons to keep this 
secret well4 ,those who lay down rules  
too often break them1 and the safest we 
are able to give is to listen much1 to  
speak little1 and to say nothing that   
will ever give ground for regret4  ,,vi4
 ,falsehood4  ,we are false in different
 ways4 ,there are some men who are false
 from wishing always to appear what they
 are not4 ,there are some who have      
better faith1 who are born false1 who   
deceive themselves1 and who never see   
themselves as they really are2 to some  

is given a true understanding and a     
false taste1 others have a false        
understanding and some correctness in   
taste2 there are some who have not any  
falsity either in taste or mind4 ,these 
last are very rare1 for to speak        
generally1 there is no one who has not  
some falseness in some corner of his    
mind or his taste4  ,what makes this    
falseness so universal1 is that as our  
qualities are uncertain and confused1 so
 too1 are our tastes2 we do not see     
things exactly as they are1 we value    
them more or less than they are worth1  
and do not bring them into unison with  
ourselves in a manner which suits them  
or suits our condition or qualities4    
,this mistake gives rise to an infinite 
number of falsities in the taste and in 
the mind4 ,our self-love is flattered by
 all that presents itself to us under   
the guise of good4  ,but as there are   
many kinds of good which affect our     
vanity and our temper1 so they are often
 followed from custom or advantage4 ,we 

follow because the others follow1       
without considering that the same       
feeling ought not to be equally         
embarrassing to all kinds of persons1   
and that it should attach itself more or
 less firmly1 according as persons agree
 more or less with those who follow     
them4  ,we dread still more to show     
falseness in taste than in mind4        
,gentleness should approve without      
prejudice what deserves to be approved1 
follow what deserves to be followed1 and
 take offence at nothing4 ,but there    
should be great distinction and great   
accuracy4 ,we should distinguish between
 what is good in the abstract and what  
is good for ourselves1 and always follow
 in reason the natural inclination which
 carries us towards matters that please 
us4  ,if men only wished to excel by the
 help of their own talents1 and in      
following their duty1 there would be    
nothing false in their taste or in their
 conduct4 ,they would show what they    
were1 they would judge matters by their 

lights1 and they would attract by their 
reason4 ,there would be a discernment in
 their views1 in their sentiments1 their
 taste would be true1 it would come to  
them direct1 and not from others1 they  
would follow from choice and not from   
habit or chance4 ,if we are false in    
admiring what should not be admired1 it 
is oftener from envy that we affix a    
value to qualities which are good in    
themselves1 but which do not become us4 
,a magistrate is false when he flatters 
himself he is brave1 and that he will be
 able to be bold in certain cases4 ,he  
should be as firm and stedfast in a plot
 which ought to be stifled without fear 
of being false1 as he would be false and
 absurd in fighting a duel about it4  ,a
 woman may like science1 but all        
sciences are not suitable for her1 and  
the doctrines of certain sciences never 
become her1 and when applied by her are 
always false4  ,we should allow reason  
and good sense to fix the value of      
things1 they should determine our taste 

and give things the merit they deserve1 
and the importance it is fitting we     
should give them4 ,but nearly all men   
are deceived in the price and in the    
value1 and in these mistakes there is   
always a kind of falseness4  ,,vii4 ,on 
,air and ,manner4  ,there is an air     
which belongs to the figure and talents 
of each individual2 we always lose it   
when we abandon it to assume another4   
,we should try to find out what air is  
natural to us and never abandon it1 but 
make it as perfect as we can4 ,this is  
the reason that the majority of children
 please4 ,it is because they are wrapt  
up in the air and manner nature has     
given them1 and are ignorant of any     
other4 ,they are changed and corrupted  
when they quit infancy1 they think they 
should imitate what they see1 and they  
are not altogether able to imitate it4  
,in this imitation there is always      
something of falsity and uncertainty4   
,they have nothing settled in their     
manner and opinions4 ,instead of being  

in reality what they want to appear1    
they seek to appear what they are not4  
,all men want to be different1 and to be
 greater than they are2 they seek for an
 air other than their own1 and a mind   
different from what they possess2 they  
take their style and manner at chance4  
,they make experiments upon themselves  
without considering that what suits one 
person will not suit everyone1 that     
there is no universal rule for taste or 
manners1 and that there are no good     
copies4  ,few men1 nevertheless1 can    
have unison in many matters without     
being a copy of each other1 if each     
follow his natural turn of mind4 ,but in
 general a person will not wholly follow
 it4 ,he loves to imitate4 ,we often    
imitate the same person without         
perceiving it1 and we neglect our own   
good qualities for the good qualities of
 others1 which generally do not suit us4
  ,i do not pretend1 from what ,i say1  
that each should so wrap himself up in  
himself as not to be able to follow     

example1 or to add to his own1 useful   
and serviceable habits1 which nature has
 not given him4 ,arts and sciences may  
be proper for the greater part of those 
who are capable for them4 ,good manners 
and politeness are proper for all the   
world4 ,but1 yet acquired qualities     
should always have a certain agreement  
and a certain union with our own natural
 qualities1 which they imperceptibly    
extend and increase4 ,we are elevated to
 a rank and dignity above ourselves4 ,we
 are often engaged in a new profession  
for which nature has not adapted us4    
,all these conditions have each an air  
which belong to them1 but which does not
 always agree with our natural manner4  
,this change of our fortune often       
changes our air and our manners1 and    
augments the air of dignity1 which is   
always false when it is too marked1 and 
when it is not united and amalgamated   
with that which nature has given us4 ,we
 should unite and blend them together1  
and thus render them such that they can 

never be separated4  ,we should not     
speak of all subjects in one tone and in
 the same manner4 ,we do not march at   
the head of a regiment as we walk on a  
promenade2 and we should use the same   
style in which we should naturally speak
 of different things in the same way1   
with the same difference as we should   
walk1 but always naturally1 and as is   
suitable1 either at the head of a       
regiment or on a promenade4 ,there are  
some who are not content to abandon the 
air and manner natural to them to assume
 those of the rank and dignities to     
which they have arrived4 ,there are some
 who assume prematurely the air of the  
dignities and rank to which they aspire4
 ,how many lieutenant-generals assume to
 be marshals of ,france1 how many       
barristers vainly repeat the style of   
the ,chancellor and how many female     
citizens give themselves the airs of    
duchesses4  ,but what we are most often 
vexed at is that no one knows how to    
conform his air and manners with his    

appearance1 nor his style and words with
 his thoughts and sentiments1 that every
 one forgets himself and how far he is  
insensibly removed from the truth4      
,nearly every one falls into this fault 
in some way4 ,no one has an ear         
sufficiently fine to mark perfectly this
 kind of cadence4  ,thousands of people 
with good qualities are displeasing2    
thousands pleasing with far less        
abilities1 and why8 ,because the first  
wish to appear to be what they are not1 
the second are what they appear4  ,some 
of the advantages or disadvantages that 
we have received from nature please in  
proportion as we know the air1 the      
style1 the manner1 the sentiments that  
coincide with our condition and our     
appearance1 and displease in the        
proportion they are removed from that   
point4     ,,index  ,,the ,,letter ,r   
,,preceding ,a ,,reference ,,refers ,,to
 ,,the ,,reflections1 ,,the ,,roman     
,,numerals ,,refer ,,to ,,the           
,,supplements4      ,ability1 #afb1     

#afe1 #aii1 #bde1 #bhc1 #bhh4 ,,see     
,cleverness   ------1 ,sovereign1 #bdd4 
,absence1 #bgf4   ,accent1 country1     
#cdb1 ,,xciv4   ,accidents1 #ei1 #caj4  
,acquaintances1 #dbf4 ,,see ,,friends4  
,acknowledgements1 #bbe4   ,actions1 #a1
 #g1 #eg1 #eh1 #afj1 #afa1 #chb1 #dji1  
,,cxx4   ,actors1 #bef4   ,admiration1  
#agh1 #bid1 #dgd4   ,adroitness of mind1
 ,r4,,ii4   ,adversity1 #be4   -------- 
of ,friends1 ,,xv4   ,advice1 #aaj1     
#aaf1 #bhc1 #cgh1 ,,cxvii4   ,affairs1  
#dec1 ,r ,,ii4   ,affectation1 #acd1    
#dic4   ,affections1 #bcb4              
,afflictions1 #bcc1 #cee1 #cfb1 #dic1   
,,xcvii1 ,,xv4   ,age1 #bbb1 #dje1      
,,lxxiii4 ,,see ,old ,age4              
,agreeableness1 #bee1 ,r4,v4            
,agreement1 #bdj4   ,air1 #cii1 #die1   
,r4#g4   -- ,of a ,citizen1 #cic4       
,ambition1 #bd1 #ia1 #bdf1 #bic1 #dij4  
,anger1 ,,xxx4   ,application1 #da1     
#bdc4   ,appearances1 #fd1 #aff1 #aii1  
#bef1 #cjb1 #dca1 #deg1 ,r4,,vii4       
----------1 ,conformity of ,manners     

with1 ,r4#g4   ,applause1 #bgb4         
,approbation1 #ea1 #bhj4   ,artifices1  
#aag1 #abd1 #abe1 #abf1 ,r4,,ii4        
,astonishment1 #chd4   ,avarice1 #afg1  
#dia1 #dib4      ,ballads1 #baa4        
,beauty1 #bdj1 #dgd1 #dig1 ,,li4        
------ of the ,mind1 ,r4,,ii4   ,bel    
esprit defined1 ,r4,,ii4   ,benefits1   
#ad1 #bih1 #bii1 #cja1 ,,cxxii4         
,benefactors1 #if1 #cag1 ,,cxxii4       
,blame1 ,,cviii4   ,blindness1 ,,xix4   
,boasting1 #ada1 #cjg4   ,boredom1 #ada1
 #cjd1 #ceb4 ,,see ,ennui4   ,bouts     
rimes1 #chb1 ,,cxx4   ,bravery1 #a1     
#bac1 #bad1 #bae1 #baf1 #bag1 #bai1     
#bbj1 #bba1 #cfe1   #ejd4 ,,see ,courage
 and ,valour4   ,brilliancy of ,mind1   
,r4,,ii4   ,brilliant things1 ,,lii4    
,capacity1 #cge4   ,caprice1 #de4       
,chance1 #eg1 #cdd1 ,,xcv4 ,,see        
,fortune4   ,character1 ,,lvi1 ,r4,,ii4 
,chastity1 #a4 ,,see ,virtue of ,women4 
,cheating1 #aad1 #abg4   ,circumstances1
 #ei1 #dgj4   ,civility1 #bfj4          
,clemency1 #ae1 #af4   ,cleverness1     

#afb1 #bfi1 #bde1 #cii4   ,coarseness1  
#cgb4   ,comedy1 #baa1 ,r4,,iii4        
,compassion1 #dfc4 ,,see ,pity4         
,complaisance1 #dha1 ,r4,,iv4           
,conduct1 #afc1 #bbg1 #cgh1 ,,cxvii4    
,confidants1 whom we make1 ,r4,i4       
,confidence1 #bci1 #cfe1 #dge1 ,,xlix1  
,r4#a1 ,r4,,iv4   ,confidence1          
difference from ,sincerity   ----------1
 defined1 ,r4,i4   ,consolation1 #cbe4  
,constancy1 #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #age1 #agf1  
#dbj4   ,contempt1 #cbb4   -------- of  
,death1 #ejd4   ,contentment1 ,,lxxx4   
,contradictions1 #dgh4   ,conversation1 
#aci1 #adj1 #adb1 #cab1 #cac1 #cad1     
#cfd1 #cia1   #dba1 ,,civ1 ,r4,v4       
,copies1 #acc4   ,coquetry1 #bda4 ,,see 
,flirtation4   ,country ,manner1 #cic4  
------ ,accent1 #cdb4   ,courage1 #a1   
#bad1 #bae1 #baf1 #bai1 #bba1 ,,xlii4   
,,see ,bravery4   ,covetousness1 opposed
 to ,reason1 #dfi   ,cowardice1 #bae1   
#dhj4   ,cowards1 #cgj4   ,crimes1 #ahc1
 #dfe1 ,,xxxv1 ,,xxxvii4   ,cunning1    
#abf1 #abi1 #cid1 #djg4   ,curiosity1   

#agc4      ,danger1 ,,xlii4   ,death1   
#ba1 #bc1 #bf4   ----1 ,contempt of1    
#ejd4   ,deceit1 #hf1 #aag1 #aah1 #abd1 
#abg1 #abi1 #cie1 #dcd4 ,,see ,,also    
,self-,deceit4   ,deception1 ,,cxxi4    
,decency1 #ddg4   ,defects1 #ca1 #ij1   
#dic1 ,,lxxii4 ,,see ,faults4           
,delicacy1 #abh1 ,r4,,ii4   ,dependency1
 result of ,confidence1 ,r4,i4          
,designs1 #afj1 #afa4   ,desires1 #dci1 
#dfi1 ,,lxxxii1 ,,lxxxv4   ,despicable  
,persons1 #cbb4   ,detail1 ,mind given  
to1 ,r4,,ii4   ,details1 #da1 #ajf4     
,devotion1 #dbg4   ,devotees1 #dbg4     
,devout1 ,,lxxvi4   ,differences1 #ace4 
,dignities1 ,r4,,vii4   ,discretion1    
,r4,v4   ,disguise1 #aai1 #bdf1 #bhb4   
,disgrace1 #bce1 #dab4   ,dishonour1    
#cbf1 ,,lxix4   ,distrust1 #hd1 #hf1    
#cce4   ,divination1 #dbe4   ,doubt1    
#cdh4   ,docility1 ,r4,,iv4   ,dupes1   
#hg1 #ajb4      ,education1 #bfa4       
,elevation1 #cii1 #djj1 #djc4           
,eloquence1 #h1 #bdi1 #bej4             
,employments1 #afd1 #dai1 #ddi4         

,enemies1 #aad1 #cig1 #deh1 #dfc4       
,ennui1 #abb1 #ada1 #cjd1 #cab1 #ceb1   
,,cxii1 ,r4,,ii4   ,envy1 #bg1 #bh1     
#bhj1 #bha1 #cbh1 #cgf1 #dcc1 #dgf1     
#dhf4   ,epithets assigned to the ,mind1
 ,r4,,ii4   ,esteem1 #bif4   ,establish1
 #ef1 #bhj4   ,evils1 #aba1 #aig1 #bfi1 
#ded1 #dfd1 ,,xciii4   ,example1 #bcj4  
,exchange of secrets1 ,r4,i4            
,experience1 #dje4   ,expedients1 #bhg4 
,expression1 refined1 ,r4,v4            
,faculties of the ,mind1 #agd4          
,failings1 #cig1 #djc4   ,falseness1    
,r4,,vi4   --------1 disguised1 #bhb4   
--------1 kinds of1 ,r4,,vi4            
,familiarity1 ,r4,,iv4   ,fame1 #aeg4   
,farces1 men compared to1 #baa4         
,faults1 #cg1 #aab1 #aee1 #ahd1 #aij1   
#aid1 #aif1 #bea1 #ced1 #cfe1   #cgb1   
#cig1 #djc1 #daa1 #dbh1 #dic1 #did1 ,v1 
,,lxv1 ,,cx1   ,,cxv4   ,favourites1    
#ee4   ,fear1 #cgj1 ,,lxviii4           
,feeling1 #bee4   ,ferocity1 ,,xxxiii4  
,fickleness1 #agi1 #aha1 #dih4          
,fidelity1 #bdg4   --------1 hardest    

test of1 ,r4,i4   -------- in love1     
#cca1 #cha1 ,c4   ,figure and air1      
,r4,,vii4   ,firmness1 #ai1 #dgi4       
,flattery1 #abc1 #add1 #aeb1 #aih1 #cbj1
 #cbi4   ,flirts1 #djf1 #dah4           
,flirtation1 #ajg1 #bda1 #bgg1 #ccb1    
#ccd1 #cdi1 #cgf1 ,,lxiv4   ,follies1   
#aef1 #cjj1 #djh1 #daf4   ,folly1 #bjg1 
#bjh1 #bji1 #baj1 #bca1 #cjj1 #caj1     
#caa1 #cah1   ,,xxiv4   ,fools1 #adj1   
#baj1 #cji1 #cah1 #ceg1 #dad1 #dea1     
#def1   ----1 old1 #ddd4   ----1 witty1 
#dea1 #def4   ,force of ,mind1 #cj1 #db1
 #bcg4   ,forgetfulness1 ,,xxvi4        
,forgiveness1 #ccj4   ,fortitude1 #ai4  
,,see ,bravery4   ,fortune1 #a1 #ag1    
#de1 #eb1 #ec1 #eh1 #fj1 #fa1 #aed1     
#bab1 #bbg1 #cbc1   #cdc1 #chj1 #cia1   
#cib1 #cii1 #djc1 #dce1 #ddi1 ,,ix41    
,,cxix4   ,friends1 #hd1 #aad1 #agi1    
#bce1 #bgi1 #cae1 #cai1 #dbh4   ------1 
adversity of1 ,,xv4   ------1 disgrace  
of1 #bce4   ------1 faults of1 #dbh4    
------1 true ones1 ,,lxxxvi4            
,friendship1 #hj1 #ha1 #hc1 #cgf1 #daj1 

#dbg1 #ddj1 #dda1 #dgc1   ,,xxii1       
,,cxxiv4   ----------1 defined1 #hc4    
----------1 women do not care for1 #ddj4
   ----------1 rarer than love1 #dgc4   
,funerals1 ,,xxxviii4      ,gallantry1  
#ajj4 ,,see ,flirtation4   -------- of  
mind1 #ajj4   ,generosity1 #bdf4        
,genius1 ,r4,,ii4   ,gentleness1        
,r4,,vi4   ,ghosts1 #gf4   ,gifts of the
 mind1 ,r4,,ii4   ,glory1 #aeg1 #aih1   
#bba1 #bfh4   ,good1 #aba1 #ahe1 #bbi1  
#bch1 #cjc1 ,,xciii4   ----1 how to be1 
,,xlvii4   ,goodness1 #bcg1 #bge1 #bhd1 
,,xlvi4   ,good grace1 #fg1 ,r4,,vii4   
,good man1 who is a1 #bjf4   ,god       
nature1 #dha4   ,good qualities1 #bi1   
#ij1 #ccg1 #cfe1 #cig1 #dfb4   ,good    
sense1 #fg1 #cdg1 ,,cvi4   ,good taste1 
#beh4   ----------1 rarity of1 ,r4,,iii4
   ----1 women1 #cfh1 ,,xcvi4           
,government of others1 #aea4   ,grace1  
#fg4   ,gracefulness1 #bdj4             
,gratitude1 #bbc1 #bbd1 #bbe1 #bgi1     
#bih1 #dch1 ,,xliii4   ,gravity1 #beg4  
,great men1 what they cannot acquire1   

,,lxxxiv4   ,great minds1 #adb4   ,great
 names1 #id4   ,greediness1 #ff4        
,habit1 #dbf4   ,happy1 who are1 #di4   
,happiness1 #dh1 #fa1 ,,vii1 ,,lxxx1    
,,lxxxi4   hatred1 #cch4   ,head1 #ajb1 
#ajh4   ,health1 #ahh1 ,,lvii4   ,heart1
 #ih1 #ajb1 #ajc1 #ajh1 #dgh1 #dhd4     
,heroes1 #bd1 #ec1 #ahe4   ,honesty1    
#bjb1 #bjf4   ,honour1 #bgj4   ,hope1   
#afh1 ,,lxviii4   ,humility1 #bed1 #ceh1
 ,,lxxvi1 ,,lxxix   ,humiliation1 #bgb4 
,humour1 #dg4 ,,see ,temper4            
,hypocrisy1 #bah4   -------- of         
afflictions1 #bcc4      ,idleness1 #afi1
 #bff1 #bfg1 #cih1 #dhb1 #dhg1 ,,xviii41
 ,,lv4   ,ills1 #agd4 ,,see ,evils4     
,illusions1 #abc4   ,imagination1 #dgh4 
,imitation1 #bcj1 ,,xliv1 ,r4,v4        
,impertinence1 #ejb4   ,impossibilities1
 #cj4   ,incapacity1 #abf4              
,inclination1 #bec1 #cij4               
,inconsistency1 #ace4   ,inconstancy1   
#aha4   ,inconvenience1 #bdb4           
,indifference1 #agb1 ,,xxiii4           
,indiscretion1 #dbi4   ,indolence4 ,,see

 ,idleness1 and ,laziness4              
,infidelity1 #cei1 #cfj1 #cha1 #dbi4    
,ingratitude1 #if1 #bbf1 #cjf1 #cag4    
,injuries1 #ad4   ,injustice1 #gh4      
,innocence1 #dfe4   ,instinct1 #abc4    
,integrity1 #agj4   ,interest1 #ci1 #dj1
 #ff1 #he1 #agb1 #ahg1 #bcb1 #bec1 #cje1
 #cij4   ,interests1 #ff4               
,intrepidity1 #bag1 ,,xl4   ,intrigue1  
#gc4   ,invention1 #bhg4      ,jealousy1
 #bh1 #cb1 #cbd1 #ccf1 #cei1 #cfa1 #ddf1
 #ejc1 ,,cii4   ,joy1 ,,xiv4   ,judges1 
#bfh4   ,judgment1 #hi1 #ig1 #bdh4      
-------- of the ,world1 #bab1 #dee4     
,justice1 #gh1 #deh1 ,,xii4             
,kindness1 #ad1 #he4   ,knowledge1 #ajf4
      ,labour of ,body1 effect of1      
,,lxxvii4   ,laments1 #cee4   ,laziness1
 #cfg4 ,,see ,idleness4   ,leader1 #dc4 
,levity1 #agi1 #aha4   ,liberality1     
#afg1 #bfc4   ,liberty in ,society1     
,r4,,iv4   ,limits to ,confidence1      
,r4,i4   ,little ,minds1 #adb4   ,love1 
#fh1 #fi1 #gj1 #ga1 #gb1 #gc1 #gd1 #ge1 
#gf1 #acf1 #bei1 #bfb1   #bgd1 #bhf1    

#bif1 #cba1 #cce1 #ccf1 #cdh1 #cdi1     
#cea1 #cec1   #cfa1 #cga1 #cgd1 #che1   
#cie1 #cif1 #djb1 #dag1 #dah1 #dbb1     
#dcj1 #ddj1 #dda1 #dei1 #dff1 #dga1     
#dgc1 #dii1 #ejj1 #eja1   ,x1 ,,xi1     
,,xiii1 ,,lviii1 ,,lx1 ,,lxii1          
,,lxxxviii1   ,,xcix1  ,,ciii1 ,,cxxi4  
---- defined1 #fh4   ----1 ,coldness in1
 ,,lx4   ----1 ,effect of absence on1   
#bgf4   ---- akin to ,hate1 #aaa4   ----
 of ,women1 #dff1 #dga1 #dii4   ----1   
,novelty in1 #bgd4   ----1 ,infidelity  
in1 ,,lxiv4   ----1 ,old age of1 #dcj4  
----1 ,cure for1 #dag1 #dei4   ,loss of 
,friends1 ,,xlv4   ,lovers1 #cab1 #cfb1 
,,lxxxvii1 ,,xcvii4   ,lunatic1 #cec4   
,luxury1 ,,liv4   ,lying1 #fc4          
,madmen1 #cec1 #dad4   ,malady1 ,,lvii4 
,magistrates1 ,r4,,vi4   ,magnanimity1  
#bdh1 ,,liii4   ---------- defined1     
#bhe4   ,malice1 #dhc4   ,manners1      
,r4,,vii4   ,mankind1 #dcf1 ,,xxxvi4    
,marriages1 #aac4   ,maxims1 ,,lxvii4   
,mediocrity1 #cge4   ,memory1 #hi1 #cac4
   ,men easier to know than ,man1 #dcf4 

,merit1 #ej1 #ib1 #ie1 #aec1 #aef1 #afe1
 #aff1 #bgc1 #bia1 #cgi1   #dja1 #dcg1  
#dee1 ,,cxviii4   ,mind1 #aja1 #ajc1    
#bfe1 #ceg1 #ddh1 #dhb1 ,,cix4   ,mind1 
,capacities of1 ,r4,,ii4   ,miserable1  
#di4   ,misfortunes1 #ai1 #bd1 #agd1    
#cbe4   ---------- of ,friends4 ,,xv4   
---------- of ,enemies1 #dfc4           
,mistaken people1 #chf4   ,mistrust1    
#hf4   ,mockery1 ,r4,,ii4   ,moderation1
 #ag1 #ah1 #bic1 #cjh1 ,,iii1 ,,iv4     
,money1 ,man compared to1 ,,xxxii4      
,motives1 #dji4      ,names1 ,great1    
#id4   ,natural goodness1 #bge4         
,natural1 to be1 #dca4   ------1 always 
pleasing1 ,r4,,vii4   ,nature1 #ec1     
#aec1 #ahi1 #cfe1 #djd4   ,negotiations1
 #bgh4   ,novelty in study1 #agh4       
------ in love1 #bgd4   ------ in       
friendship1 #dbf4      ,obligations1    
#bii1 #cag1 #dch4 ,,see ,benefits and   
,gratitude4   ,obstinacy1 #bcd1 #dbd4   
-------- its cause1 #bfe4   ,occasions4 
,,see ,opportunities4   ,old ,age1 #aji1
 #baj1 #dah1 #dbc1 #dcj1 #dfa4   ,old   

,men1 #ic4   ,openness of heart1 ,r4#a4 
,opinions1 #ac1 #bcd1 ,,cxxiii1 ,r4,v4  
,opinionatedness1 ,r4,v4                
,opportunities1 #cde1 #dec1 ,,cv4       
,passions1 #e1 #f1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1    
#ab1 #abb1 #ahh1 #bff1 #bgf1 #djd1      
#dbb1 #ddc1 #dfj1 #dga1 #dgg1 #dhd1     
#dhe1 #dhf1 #ejj1 ,,ii4   ,peace of     
,mind1 ,,viii4   ,penetration1 #cgg1    
#dbe1 ,,cxvi4   ,perfection1 ,r4,,ii4   
,perseverance1 #agg4   ,perspective1    
#ajd4   ,persuasion1 #h4                
,philosophers1 #df1 #ed1 #ejd1 ,,xxi4   
,philosophy1 #bb4   ---------- of a     
,footman1 #ejd1 ,,lxxv4   ,pity1 #bfd4  
,pleasing1 #dac1 ,,cxxv4   --------1    
,mode of1 ,,xlviii1 ,r4,v4   --------1  
,mind a1 ,r4,,ii4   ,point of view1     
,r4,,iv4   ,politeness1 #cgb1 ,r4,v4    
,politeness of ,mind1 #ii4   ,praise1   
#adc1 #add1 #ade1 #adf1 #adg1 #adh1     
#adi1 #aej1 #bgb1 #cef1   #dcb1 ,,xxvii1
 ,,cvii4   ,preoccupation1 #ib1         
,r4,,iii4   ,pride1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce1 #cf1 
#cg1 #bbh1 #bcd1 #bci1 #bed1 #bfg1 #bha1

   #dej1 #dfb1 #dfc1 #dgb1 ,,vi1 ,,xix4 
,princes1 #ae1 #cbj4   ,proceedings1    
#agj4   ,productions of the ,mind1      
,r4,,ii4   ,professions1 #bef4          
,promises1 #ch4   ,proportion1 ,r4,,vi4 
,propriety1 #ddg4   -------- in ,women1 
,,xxxiv4   ,prosperity1 #be4            
,providence1 ,,xxxix4   ,prudence1 #fe1 
,,lxxxviii1 ,r4,i4      ,qualities1 #bi1
 #afb1 #cig1 #dgj1 #dih1 ,r4,,vi1       
,r4,,vii4   --------1 ,bad1 #dfh4       
--------1 ,good1 #hh1 #ccg1 #dfb4       
--------1 ,great1 #aei1 #dcc4           
--------1 of ,mind1 classified1 ,r4,,ii4
   ,quarrels1 #dif1   ,quoting oneself1 
,r4,v4      ,raillery1 ,r4,,ii1 ,r4,,iv4
   ,rank1 #dja4   ,reason1 #db1 #aje1   
#cbe1 #cfe1 #dfg1 #dfi1 ,,xx1 ,r4,,vi4  
,recollection in ,memory1 #cac4         
,reconciliation1 #hb4   ,refinement1    
,r4,,ii4   ,regret1 #cee4   ,relapses1  
#aic4   ,remedies1 #bhh4   -------- for 
love #dei4   ,remonstrances1 #cg4       
,repentance1 #ahj4   ,repose1 #bfh4     
,reproaches1 #adh4   ,reputation1 #bfh1 

#dab4   ,resolution1 ,l4   ,revenge1    
#ad4   ,riches1 #ed4   ,ridicule1 #acc1 
#acd1 #cbf1 #dah1 #dbb4   ,rules for    
,conversation1 ,r4,v4   ,rusticity1     
#cic4      ,satire1 #dhc1 ,r4,,ii1      
,r4,,iv4   ,sciences1 ,r4,,vi4          
,secrets1 ,,xvi1 ,r4,i4   ------1 ,how  
they should be kept1 ,r4,i4             
,self-deceit1 #aae1 #deb4   ,self-love1 
#b1 #c1 #d1 #bbh1 #bcf1 #bdg1 #bfa1     
#bfb1 #cci1 #did1 #ejj1   ,i1 ,,xvii1   
,,xxviii1 ,,xxxiii1 ,,lxvi1 ,,lxxiv4    
-------- in love1 #bfb4                 
,self-satisfaction1 #ea4   ,sensibility1
 #bge4   ,sensible ,people1 #cdg1 ,,cvi4
   ,sentiment1 #bee1 ,r4,,vi4           
,severity of ,women1 #bjd1 #ccc4        
,shame1 #bac1 #bbj4   ,silence1 #gi1    
#acg1 #ach1 ,,cxiv4   ,silliness4 ,,see 
,folly4   ,simplicity1 #bhi4            
,sincerity1 #fb1 #caf1 #cff1 #chc1 #deg4
   --------1 ,difference between it and 
,confidence1 ,r4,i4   --------1 defined1
 ,r4,i4   -------- of ,lovers1 ,,lxi4   
,skill1 ,,lxiv4   ,sobriety1 ,,xxv4     

,society1 #hg1 #bja1 ,r4,,iv4   ------1 
,distinction between it and ,friendship1
 ,r4,,iv4   ,soul1 #hj1 #ahh1 #aid4     
,souls1 ,great1 ,,xxxi4   ,sorrows1     
,,lxxviii4   ,stages of ,life1 #dje4    
,strength of mind1 #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #ejd4 
,studies1 why new ones are pleasing1    
#agh4   ------1 what to study1 ,,xcii4  
,subtilty1 #abh4   ,sun1 #bf4           
,talents1 #dfh4   ------1 latent1 #cdd1 
,,xcv4   ,talkativeness1 #cad4   ,taste1
 #ac1 #aji1 #beb1 #cij1 #dfg1 ,,cxx1    
,r4,,iii1 ,r4,,vi4   ----1 good1 #beh1  
,r4,,iii4   ----1 cause of diversities  
in1 ,r4,,iii4   ----1 false1 ,r4,,iii4  
,tears1 #bcc1 #cgc4   ,temper1 #dg1     
#bij1 #bib4   ,temperament1 #bbj1 #bbb1 
#big1 #cdf4   ,times for speaking1      
,r4,v4   ,timidity1 #afi1 #dhj4         
,titles1 ,,xxxii4   ,tranquillity1 #dhh4
   ,treachery1 #abj1 #abf4   ,treason1  
#abj4   ,trickery1 #hf1 #cej1 ,,xci4    
,,see ,deceit4   ,trifles1 #da4         
,truth1 #fd1 ,,li4   ,tyranny1 ,r4,i4   
,understanding1 #hi4   ,untruth1 #fc4   

,,see ,lying4   ,unhappy1 ,,cxxv4       
,valour1 #a1 #bac1 #bad1 #bae1 #baf4    
,,see ,bravery and ,courage4   ,vanity1 
#acg1 #aeh1 #bjj1 #bcb1 #chh1 #chi1     
#ddc1 #dfg1 #dhc4   ,variety of mind1   
,r4,,iv4   ,vice1 #ahb1 #ahf1 #ahg1     
#ahi1 #aia1 #aib1 #aie1 #bah1 #bec1     
#bgc1   #chj1 #ddb1 #dde1 ,,xxix4       
,violence1 #cfc1 #cfi1 #dff1 ,,cxiii4   
,victory1 ,,xii4   ,virtue1 #a1 #be1    
#afi1 #aga1 #ahb1 #ahf1 #ahg1 #ahi1     
#bjj1 #bah1   #bec1 #chj1 #chh1 #ddb1   
#dde1 #dhi1 ,,xxix4   ,virtue of ,women1
 #a1 #bbj1 #cfg1 ,,xcviii4   ,vivacity1 
#daf4      ,weakness1 #acj1 #dde4       
,wealth1 ,contempt of1 #cja4            
,weariness4 ,,see ,ennui4   ,wicked     
people1 #bhd4   ,wife jealous sometimes 
desirable1 ,,lxxxix4   ,will1 #cj4      
,wisdom1 #acb1 #baj1 #bca1 #cbc1 #ddd1  
,,lxxxiii4   ,wise ,man1 who is a1 #bjc1
 ,,xci4   ,wishes1 #bie4   ,wit1 #aii1  
#cdj1 #dac1 #dae1 #dba1 #ejb4   ,wives1 
#cfd1 ,,civ4   ,woman1 #aca1 #bjd1 #bje1
 #bbj1 #bda1 #bgg1 #ccb1 #ccc1 #ccd1    

#cdj1 #cdf1 #cfb1 #cfg1 #cfh1 #dah1     
#dbi1 #ddj1 #dff1 #dga1   #dgd1 ,,lxx1  
,,xc4   ,women1 ,severity of1 #ccc4     
----1 ,virtue of1 #bje1 #bbj1 ,,xc4     
----1 ,power of1 ,,lxxi4   ,wonder1     
#chd4   ,world1 #bja4   ----1 ,judgment 
of1 #bfh4   ----1 ,approbation of1 #bja4
   ----1 ,establishment in1 #ef4   ----1
 ,praise and censure of1 #ded4          
,young men1 #cgh1 #die4   ,youth1 #bga1 
#cda4