Virtue Is Necessary To A Republic.

Republics Are Brought To Their Ends By Luxury; Monarchies By Poverty.

I Never Listen To Calumnies, Because If They Are Untrue I Run The Risk Of Being Deceived, And If They Be True, Of Hating Persons Not Worth Thinking About.

The Spirit Of Commerce Is Frugality, Economy, Moderation, Labor, Ponderance, Tranquillity, Order, And Rule. So Long As This Spirit Subsides, The Riches It Produces Have No Bad Effect. The Mischief Is When Excessive Wealth Destroys The Spirit Of Commerce, Then It Is That The Conveniences Of Inequality... Are Felt.

If One Only Wished To Be Happy, This Could Be Easily Accomplished; But We Wish To Be Happier That Other People, And This Is Always Difficult, For We Believe Others To Be Happier Than They Are. You Are Comparing Your Lot With An Ideal Which Is Of Course Better And Therefore You Feel Worse

An Empire Founded By War Has To Maintain Itself By War.