Jean de la Bruyere

"At the beginning and at the end of love, the two lovers are embarrassed to find themselves alone."

"It is a sad thing when men have neither the wit to speak well nor the judgment to hold their tongues."

"It is boorish to live ungraciously: the giving is the hardest part; what does it cost to add a smile?"

"Man has but three events in his life: to be born, to live, and to die. He is not conscious of his birth, he suffers at his death and he forgets to live."

"Marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank."

"The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the woman we love."

"There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking."

"There are only three events in a man's life; birth, life, and death; he is not conscious of being born, he dies in pain, and he forgets to live."

"There is no road too long to the man who advances deliberately and without undue haste; there are no honors too distant to the man who prepares himself for them with patience."

"When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman."