1799-] 
Idlenefs ought to have been ranked 
among the punifhments of hell; and 
moft people place it among the joys of 
heaven. 
On friends that are tyrannical though 
wieful to us, my obfervation is—that love 
has compenfations which friendthip has 
not. 
Ordinary graces lofe part of their beauty 
by being fet in competition with each 
other: graces of the higheft rank acquire 
a brighter luttre when oppofed to each 
other. 
Moft virtues are relative to individuals, 
or to parts of the whole: {uch are friend- 
fhip, love of one’s country, compaffion. 
But juftice is relative to the whole; and 
when any action interferes with that, it is 
vice, though ranked among the virtues. 
The fuccefs of moft enterprifes depends 
upon knowing how much time is neceflary 
to their fucceis. 
That ought never to be attempted by 
the laws, which can be effected by the 
cuftoms and manners of a people. 
I have remarked that, to fucceed in the 
world, one muft have a vacant air with 
a fubtle head. 
One’s drefs fhould be a little inferior to 
one’s condition. 
Supper deftroys one half of Paris, and 
dinner the other. 
I hate Verfailles, becaufe every body is 
little and mean there; but Paris I love, 
for there one finds great men. 
If we were content to be happy, that 
would not be dificult; but we are am- 
bitious to be more happy than others, and 
that is dificult, because others appear to 
be happier than they really are. 
Some peoole hate digreffions ; risen ive tak 
think he who underftands their ufe is like 
one with long arms: he has more objects 
within his reach. 
Men are of twoforts: thofe who think, 
and thof whe amufe themfelves. 
A fine a€tion is one that is beneficial 
to man, and whofe accomplifhment re- 
quires talent. 
The common people have generally 
good intentions and vicious manners. 
Hiftories are romances founded on 
facts. 
A work gives celebrity to a man’s 
name, and after tliat, his name gives cele- 
brity to his works. 
It is a nice point’ to know when to 
quit a company: an accurate knowledge 
of the world gives a readinefs in perceiv- 
ing it. 
' Bravery and a love of glory are declin- 
wg among us: it is of little moment to 
Mifcelianeous Thoughts, by Montefquieu. 135 
our happinefs to belong to one mafter or 
to another ; but formerly, defeat in the 
field, or the reduction of a man’s country, 
was ‘ihe lofs of all that was dear to him, 
his country, family, and friends. 
We thall never arrive at principles in 
finance, becaufe we never know more than 
that we do fomething, and never what it 
is we do. 
We do not now call’a minifter great, 
when he is an intelligent adminiftrator of 
the public revenue, but when he is fertile 
in expedients to increafe the revenue, and 
indefatigable in their application. 
People love their grand-children better 
than their children, aaa itis becaufe they 
can eftimate tolerably well the worth of 
the Jatter; but their knowledge of the 
former being lefs perteét, they flatter 
themielves with vain hopes refpeéting 
them. 
The reafon why fools fo often fucceed 
. 1n/ their plans is, that never diftrufting 
themiclves, they always perfevere. 
It is worthy to be obferved, that the 
greater part of our pleafures are unrea- 
fonable. 
Old men, who have ftudied in youth, 
need only refort to the memory for plea- 
fure or ufe, when others are obliged to 
begin to ftudy. 
Merit is a confolation in every afflic- 
tion. 
A figurative ftyle is fo far from diffi- 
cult, that a nation emerging from igno- 
tance firft employs the figurative “and 
{welling ftyle, and afterwards acquires the 
fimple. ‘The difficulty of fimplicity is, 
that it borders on the mean, although in 
itfelf moft expreffive and beautiful; while 
there is a wide diftance between a Spe 
tive ftyle and bombatt. 
There is very little vanity in feeling a 
neceflity for rank or important ftation to 
attraé notice. 
The heroifm that refults from juft 
morals interefts few; the heroifm that 1s 
moft deftruétive, is the admiration of the 
multitude. 
Ariftotle and Horace have told us of 
the virtues of their forefathers, and the 
degeneracy of their own times; and au- 
thors, from age to age, have done the 
fame; but if they had fpoken the truth, 
men at this day would be degenerated into 
brute animals, 
Raillery is a panegyric on the fpeaker’s 
wit, at the expence of his humanity. 
People whofe minds are never pro- 
foundly occupied, are generally great 
talkers. 
~Obicure people, who are ambitious ot 
making 
