Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.

A good prince will tax as lightly as possible those commodities which are used by the poorest members of society: grain, bread, beer, wine, clothing, and all other staples without which human life could not exist.

There is nothing I congratulate myself on more heartily than on never having joined a sect.

Apothegms are in history, the same as pearls in the sand, or gold in the mine.

Concealed talent brings no reputation.

Eagles don't catch flies.

Everyone knows that by far the happiest and universally enjoyable age of man is the first. What is there about babies which makes us hug and kiss and fondle them, so that even an enemy would give them help at that age?

The more ignorant, reckless and thoughtless a doctor is, the higher his reputation soars even amongst powerful princes.

No one respects a talent that is concealed.

'Tis an easier matter to raise the devil than to lay him.

Of two evils choose the least.

There is no joy in possession without sharing.

If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.

The wedlocks of minds will be greater than that of bodies.

Besides, it happens (how, I cannot tell) that an idea launched like a javelin in proverbial form strikes with sharper point on the hearer's mind and leaves implanted barbs for meditation.

So our student will flit like a busy bee through the entire garden of literature, light on every blossom, collect a little nectar from each, and carry it to his hive.

Anything which causes trouble has special merit in their eyes.

Nothing is so foolish, they say, as for a man to stand for office and woo the crowd to win its vote, buy its support with presents, court the applause of all those fools and feel self-satisfied when they cry their approval, and then in his hour of triumph to be carried round like an effigy for the public to stare at, and end up cast in bronze to stand in the market place.

A healthy conscience is like a wall of bronze.

Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.