The wicked find a pretext in everything.
The sovereign is called a tyrant who knows no laws but his caprice.
The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error.
The opportunity of doing mischief occurs a hundred times in a day, and that of doing good but once a year.
The little may contrast with the great in painting, but cannot be said to be contrary to it. Opposition of colors contrasts; but there are also colors contrary to each other; that is, which produce an ill effect because they shock the eye when brought very near it.
The flowery style is not unsuitable to public speeches or addresses which amount only to compliment. The lighter beauties are in their place when there is nothing more solid to say; but the flowery style should be banished from a pleading, a sermon, or a didactic work.
Tears are the silent language of grief.
Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy, the mad daughter of a wise mother.
Optimism! said Cacambo, what is that? Alas! replied Candide, it is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst.[Also known as:]Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable.
One merit of poetry few persons will deny; it says more and in fewer words than prose.
Men who are occupied in the restoration of health to other men, by the joint exertion of skill and humanity, are above all the great of the earth. They even partake of divinity, since to preserve and renew is almost as noble as to create.
Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because there is nothing to be gained by him.
