"The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love; have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do; and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough."
"Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted."
"Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known the breach of a promise to dine or sup to break up more than one intimacy."
"The path of genius is free, and its own"
"Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses."
"Rules and models destroy genius and art."