"A wise man is cured of ambition by ambition itself; his aim is so exalted that riches, office, fortune, and favor cannot satisfy him. He sees nothing sufficient to engage his affections and to render it deserving of his cares and his desires. ... The only thing that might tempt him is that kind of honor which should attend a wholly pure and unaffected virtue; but men but rarely grant it, so he does without it."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
“Of Personal Merit,” #43
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Les_Caract%C3%A8res
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Les Caractères
40 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Les Caractères →
Related Quotes
"Menippus is a bird decked in various feathers which are not his. He neither says nor feels anything, but repeats the …"
"All passions are deceptive; they conceal themselves as much as possible from others and from themselves as well. No v…"
"S’il est ordinaire d’être vivement touché des choses rares, pourquoi le sommes-nous si peu de la vertu?"
"Il apparaît de temps en temps sur la surface de la terre des hommes rares, exquis, qui brillent par leur vertu, et do…"
"There are some men who turn a deaf ear to reason and good advice, and wilfully go wrong for fear of being controlled."
"It is no more in our power to love always than it was not to love at all."
"An intelligent man neither allows himself to be controlled nor attempts to control others; he wishes reason alone to …"
"A plain appearance is to ordinary men their proper garb: it suits them and fits them, but it adorns those persons who…"
"S’il est heureux d’avoir de la naissance, il ne l’est pas moins d’être tel qu’on ne s’informe plus si vous en avez."
"Est-ce un si grand mal d’être entendu quand on parle, et de parler comme tout le monde? Une chose vous manque, Acis, …"