Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

François, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680). Moral Maxims and Reflections. 1912.

Maxims, by Monsieur De la Rochefoucault

Part V

A Great many People give themselves up to Devotion, but no body gives himself up to Humility.

Bodily Labour keeps off Pain of Mind; and by so doing makes the Poor happy.

The Mortifications which no body knows of, are Mortifications indeed, the rest are made easie by our Vanity.

The Altar on which God would have all our Sacrifices offered, is Humility.

A few Things suffice to make a wise Man happy, but it is not in the Power of any to content a Fool; and this is the true Reason why much the greatest Part of Mankind are miserable.

We give our selves more Pain, to make Men think us happy, than to make our selves really so.

It is much easier to quench a first Desire, than to satisfie all those that are sure to follow after.

Wisdom to the Mind, is as Health to the Body.

In regard neither Health of Body, nor Peace of Mind, can be conferr’d by the Greatest Men upon Earth; the utmost Favours they can do us are bought too dear.

Before we set our Hearts too much upon any Thing, let us examine how happy those are, who already possess it.

The greatest Treasure in this World, is a true Friend, and yet it is a Treasure which Men least trouble themselves to look after.

Lovers are blind to the Failings of their Mistresses, till the ending of the Charm open their Eyes.

Prudence and Love were never made for one another; as much as you add to the one, you certainly take from the other.

A jealous Wife gives her Husband this satisfaction at least, that he is sure, from her, continually to hear of what he loves.

How sad a Case is that poor Woman in, who is at the same Time violently in Love, and inflexibly vertuous?

A wise Man finds it more for his Advantage, to decline the Combat, than to gain the Conquest.

There is more need of reading Men than Books.

Good and ill Fortune commonly go to them, who had most of each before.

A good Wife is a hid Treasure, which he that hath found, does well not to brag of.

Most Women mourn the Loss of a Lover, not so much to shew how they loved before, as to gain the Reputation of deserving to be loved again.

Faithfulness, when the Effect of Constraint, is very little better than Unfaithfulness.

No Women are worth our Jealousie, but such as decline giving occasion for it.

Men that are too fond, do not easily discern, when their Passion ceases to be return’d.

We seldom allow any Men to have good Sense, who are not of our own Opinion.

Men find fault with themselves, purely to put others upon commending them.

Little Souls take offence at the least Things.

There are some Defects, which when placed in a convenient Light, look more agreeably than even Perfection it self.

We always think them troublesome, that our selves are troublesome to.

A Man never finds it harder to speak as he ought, than when out of Countenance not to find something to say.

No Faults are unpardonable in those who can prevail with themselves to acknowledge them.

Nothing is more natural to us, or imposes more upon us, than the Perswasion that we are beloved.

We take more delight in seeing the Persons that have been beholden to us, than them to whom we are beholden.

There is more difficulty in concealing our real Sentiments, than in counterfeiting the Sentiments we have not.

Friendships, after Reconciliation, are more nice to be kept, than those that were never broken at all.

He that likes no body, hath a much worse Time of it, than he whom no body likes.