Siamo sinceri: noi nei nostri rapporti, tanto freddi quanto facili, chiamiamo felicità ciò che appena merita il nome di piacere.

It was there, in particular, that I confirmed the truth that love, which we cry up as the source of our pleasures, is nothing more than an excuse for them.

I see you are already as timid as a slave: you might as well be in love.

Will you, then, never grow weary of being unjust?

I am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people have not so much merit as they lead us to suppose.

There is no woman in the world who does not abuse the power she has been able to acquire