Bruyere Quotes

Politeness does not always inspire goodness, equity, complaisance, and gratitude; it gives at least the appearance of these qualities, and makes man appear outwardly, as he should be within. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

To what excesses do men rush for the sake of religion, of whose truth they are so little persuaded, and to whose precepts they pay so little regard! ~ Jean De La Bruyere

No man is so perfect, so necessary to his friends, as to give them no cause to miss him less. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Everything has been said, and we are more than seven thousand years of human thought too late. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

To make a book is as much a trade as to make a clock; something more than intelligence is required to become an author. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

They who, without any previous knowledge of us, think amiss of us, do us no harm; they attack not us, but the phantom of their own imagination. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man reveals his character even in the simplest things he does. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is easier to enrich ourselves with a thousand virtues, than to correct ourselves of a single fault. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The unnamed should not be mistaken for the nonexistent. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The flatterer does not think highly enough of himself or of others. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is a proof of boorishness to confer a favor with a bad grace; it is the act of giving that is hard and painful. How little does a smile cost? ~ Jean De La Bruyere

We are afraid of the old age which we may never attain. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Cunning is none of the best nor worst qualities; it floats between virtue and vice; there is scarce any exigence where it may not, and perhaps ought not to be supplied by prudence. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Men make the best friends. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Criticism is as often a trade as a science, requiring, as it does, more health than wit, more labour than capacity, more practice than genius. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Languages are the keys of science. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A vain man finds it wise to speak good or ill of himself; a modest man does not talk of himself. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

When a secret is revealed, it is the fault of the man who confided it. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

This great misfortune - to be incapable of solitude. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

If men wish to be held in esteem, they must associate with those only who are estimable. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

How many men are like trees, already strong and full grown, which are transplanted into some gardens, to the astonishment of those people who behold them in these fine spots, where they never saw them grow, and who neither know their beginning nor their progress! ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Misers are neither relations, nor friends, nor citizens, nor Christians, nor perhaps even human beings. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Women run to extremes, they are either better or worse than men. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The court is like a palace of marble; it's composed of people very hard and very polished. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is not so easy to obtain a reputation by a perfect work as to enhance the value of an indifferent one by a reputation already acquired. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

All the world says of a coxcomb that he is a coxcomb; but no one dares to say so to his face, and he dies without knowing it. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

As long as men are liable to die and are desirous to live, a physician will be made fun of, but he will be well paid. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It requires more than mere genius to be an author. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Most men make use of the first part of their life to render the last part miserable. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face or a fine hand does in a minute! ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A guilty man is punished as an example for the mob; an innocent man convicted is the business of every honest citizen. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Languages are no more than the keys of Sciences. He who despises one, slights the other. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Party loyalty lowers the greatest men to the petty level of the masses. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is difficult for a proud man ever to forgive a person who has found him at fault, and who has good grounds for complaining of him; his pride is not assuaged till he has regained the advantages he lost and put the other person in the wrong. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The opposite of what is noised about concerning men and things is often the truth.
[Fr., Le contraire des bruits qui courent des affaires ou des personnes est souvent la verite.] ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It seems to me that the spirit of politeness is a certain attention in causing that, by our words and by our manners, others may be content with us and with themselves. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

If you suppress the exorbitant love of pleasure and money, idle curiosity, iniquitous pursuits and wanton mirth, what a stillness would there be in the greatest cities. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man of moderate Understanding, thinks he writes divinely: A man of good Understanding, thinks he writes reasonably. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

There is a pleasure in meeting the glance of a person whom we have lately laid under some obligations. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

There is what is called the highway to posts and honor, and there is a cross and by way, which is much the shortest. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Great things only require to be simply told, for they are spoiled by emphasis; but little things should be clothed in lofty language, as they are only kept up by expression, tone of voice, and style of delivery. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

That man is good who does good to others; if he suffers on account of the good he does, he is very good; if he suffers at the hands of those to whom he has done good, then his goodness is so great that it could be enhanced only by greater sufferings; and if he should die at their hands, his virtue can go no further: it is heroic, it is perfect ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The whole genius of an author consists in describing well, and delineating character well. Homer, Plato, Virgil, Horace only excel other writers by their expressions and images; we must indicate what is true if we mean to write naturally, forcibly and delicately. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man must be very inert to have no character at all. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is no more in our power to love always than it was not to love at all. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

We are valued in this world at the rate we desire to be valued. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

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. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

An egotist will always speak of himself, either in praise or in censure, but a modest man ever shuns making himself the subject of his conversation. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The wise person often shuns society for fear of being bored. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Pure friendship is something which men of an inferior intellect can never taste. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Men fall from great fortune because of the same shortcomings that led to their rise. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man who knows the court is master of his gestures, of his eyes and of his face; he is profound, impenetratable; he dissimulates bad offices, smiles at his enemies, controls his irritation, disguises his passions, belies his heartm speaks and acts against his feelings. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Life at court does not satisfy a man, but it keeps him from being satisfied with anything else. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

During the course of our life we now and then enjoy some pleasures so inviting, and have some encounters of so tender a nature, that though they are forbidden, it is but natural to wish that they were at least allowable. Nothing can be more delightful, except it be to abandon them for virtue's sake. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. He who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own cleverness is perfectly well pleased with you. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Love and friendship exclude each other. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

We should only endeavour to think and speak correctly ourselves, without wishing to bring others over to our taste and opinions. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

If it be true that a man is rich who wants nothing, a wise man is a very rich man. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

No road is to long for him who advances slowly and does not hurry and no attainment is beyond his reach who equips himself with patience to achieve it ~ Jean De La Bruyere

One should never risk a joke, even of the mildest and most unexceptional charters, except among people of culture and wit. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The same principle leads us to neglect a man of merit that induces us to admire a fool.
[Fr., Du meme fonds dont on neglige un homme de merite l'on sait encore admirer un sot.] ~ Jean De La Bruyere

To how many girls has a great beauty been of no other use but to make them expect a large fortune! ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is worse to apprehend than to suffer. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a great deal of it yourself; he who goes away pleased with himself and his own wit is also greatly pleased with you. Most men would rather please than admire you; they seek less to be instructed, and even to be amused, than to be praised and applauded. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Even the best intentioned of great men need a few scoundrels around them; there are some things you cannot ask an honest man to do. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

It is often easier as well as more advantageous to conform to other men's opinions than to bring them over to ours. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

How happy the station which every moment furnishes opportunities of doing good to thousands! How dangerous that which every moment exposes to the injuring of millions! ~ Jean De La Bruyere

False modesty is the refinement of vanity. It is a lie. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A judge's duty is to grant justice, but his practice is to delay it: even those judges who know their duty adhere to the general practice. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

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. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The passion of hatred is so long lived and so obstinate a malady that the surest sign of death in a sick person is their desire for reconciliation. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

To delay is injustice. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Among some people arrogance supplies the place of grandeur, inhumanity of decision, and roguery of intelligence. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The pleasure a man of honor enjoys in the consciousness of having performed his duty is a reward he pays himself for all his pains. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Nothing makes us better understand what trifling things Providence thinks He bestows on men in granting them wealth, money, dignities, and other advantages, than the manner in which they are distributed and the kind of men who have the largest share. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The doctors allow one to die, the charlatans kill. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

There are but three events which concern man: birth, life and death. They are unconscious of their birth, they suffer when they die, and they neglect to live. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

He who excels in his art so as to carry it to the utmost height of perfection of which it is capable may be said in some measure to go beyond it: his transcendent productions admit of no appellations. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A pious man is one who would be an atheist if the king were. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The mind, like all other things, will become impaired, the sciences are its food,
they nourish, but at the same time they consume it. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Wit is the god of moments, but Genius is the god of ages. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A blockhead cannot come in, nor go away, nor sit, nor rise, nor stand, like a man of sense. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Courtly manners are contagious; they are caught at Versailles. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

If a secret is revealed, the person who has confided it to another is to be blamed. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Logic is the technique by which we add conviction to truth. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

To speak and to offend is with some people but one and the same thing. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Profane eloquence is transfered from the bar, where Le Maitre, Pucelle, and Fourcroy formerly practised it, and where it has become obsolete, to the Pulpit, where it is out of place. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The beginning and the end of love are both marked by embarrassment when the two find themselves alone.
[Fr., Le commencement et le declin de l'amour se font sentir par l'embarras ou l'on est de se trouver seuls.] ~ Jean De La Bruyere

I take sanctuary in an honest mediocrity. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The pleasure of criticism takes away from us the pleasure of being deeply moved by very fine things. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

A man who has schemed for some time can no longer do without it; all other ways of living are to him dull and insipid. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Days, months, years fly away, and irrecoverably sink in the abyss of time. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The sublime only paints the true, and that too in noble objects; it paints it in all its phases, its cause and its effect; it is the most worthy expression or image of this truth. Ordinary minds cannot find out the exact expression, and use synonymes. ~ Jean De La Bruyere