"God has put into the heart of man love and the boldness to sue, and into the heart of woman fear and the courage to refuse."
"Love is a disease that kills nobody, but one whose time has come."
"The virtuous action, done for virtue's sake alone, is truly laudable."
"We are always more disposed to laugh at nonsense than at genuine wit; because the nonsense is more agreeable to us, being more conformable to our own natures: fools love folly, and wise men wisdom."
"In love, as in war, a fortress that parleys is half taken."
"The more hidden the venom, the more dangerous it is."
"Extreme concupiscence may be found under an extreme austerity."
"A woman of honor should never suspect another of things she would not do herself."
"Men are so accustomed to lie, that one can not take too many precautions before trusting them — if they are to be trusted at all."
"There are few husbands whom the wife can not win in the long run by patience and love, unless they are harder than the rocks which the soft water penetrates in time."
"There is in us more of the appearance of sense and of virtue than of the reality."
"It is difficult to repent of what gives us pleasure."
"The woman who does not choose to love should cut the matter short at once, by holding out no hopes to her suitor."
"When one has a good day in the year, one is not wholly unfortunate."
"Hypocrites are wicked: they hide their defects with so much care, that their hearts are poisoned by them."
"The less one sees and knows men, the higher one esteems them; for experience teaches their real value."
"Love works miracles every day: such as weakening the strong, and strengthening the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favoring the passions, destroying reason, and, in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy."
"There are women so hard to please that it seems as if nothing less than an angel will suit them: hence it comes that they often meet with devils."
"Pleasures are sins: we regret to offend God; but, then, pleasures please us."
"He who knows his incapacity, knows something."
"Many weep for the sin, while they laugh over the pleasure."
"Since love teaches how to trick the tricksters, how much reason have we to fear it — we who are poor simple creatures!"
"I confess I should be glad if my pleasures were as pleasing to God as they are to me: in that case, I should often find matter for rejoicing."
"We shall all be perfectly virtuous when there is no longer any flesh on our bones."
"No one perfectly loves God who does not perfectly love some of his creatures."