Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Satire lies about literary men while they live and eulogy lies about them when they die.
The history of human opinion is scarcely anything more than the history of human errors.
Time, which alone makes the reputation of men, ends by making their defects respectable.
All pleasantry should be short; and it might even be as well were the serious short also.
Life is bristling with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to cultivate one's garden.
Let us read, and let us dance — these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.
Changing a habit is hard work. But it's harder to find work that would be more fulfilling
Never having been able to succeed in the world, he took his revenge by speaking ill of it.
All men are born with a nose and ten fingers, but no one was born with a knowledge of God.
The world embarrasses me, and I cannot dream that this watch exists and has no watchmaker.
All men are born with a nose and five fingers, but no one is born with a knowledge of God.
All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws
The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing.
I acknowledge that four thousand volumes of metaphysics will not teach us what our soul is.
Faith consists in believing not what seems true, but what seems false to our understanding.
The fate of a nation has often depended upon the good or bad digestion of a prime minister.
The ancients recommended us to sacrifice to the Graces, but Milton sacrificed to the Devil.
It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.
God prefers bad verses recited with a pure heart to the finest verses chanted by the wicked.
Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most
Every abuse ought to be reformed, unless the reform is more dangerous than the abuse itself.
But for what purpose was the earth formed?" asked Candide. "To drive us mad," replied Martin.
When a man is in love, jealous, and just whipped by the Inquisition, he is no longer himself.
Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.
It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say, are just fables that have been agreed upon
Since the whole affair had become one of religion, the vanquished were of course exterminated.
Those who think are excessively few; and those few do not set themselves to disturb the world.
I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil.
Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because nothing can be gained from him.
In this country we find it pays to shoot an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.
Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.
The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it.
True greatness consists in the use of a powerful understanding to enlighten oneself and others.
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
The adjective is the enemy of the noun. Variant: The adjective is the enemy of the substantive.
A physician is one who pours drugs of which he knows little into a body of which he knows less.
Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.
We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard.
Needless to say since Christ's expiation not one single Christian has been known to sin, or die.
Why, since we are always complaining of our ills, are we constantly employed in redoubling them?
History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up.
The most amazing and effective inventions are not those which do most honour to the human genius.
Our priests are not what a silly populace supposes; all their learning consists in our credulity.
The man who leaves money to charity in his will is only giving away what no longer belongs to him
One day everything will be well, that is our hope. Everything's fine today, that is our illusion.
What a pessimist you are!" exclaimed Candide. "That is because I know what life is," said Martin.
Anyone who seeks to destroy the passions instead of controlling them is trying to play the angel.
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
If you are attacked as regards your style, never reply; it is for your work alone to make answer.