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It is a sad thing when men have neither enough intelligence to speak well nor enough sense to hold their tongues this is the root of all impertinence.

Jean de la Bruyere

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Jean de la Bruyere
Age: 50 †
Born: 1645
Born: August 16
Died: 1696
Died: May 10
Aphorist
Essayist
French Moralist
Lawyer
Philosopher
Translator
Writer
Paris
France
Jean de La Bruyere
Hold
Impertinence
Speak
Tongues
Sense
Wit
Wells
Root
Well
Tongue
Enough
Intelligence
Thing
Neither
Men
Judgment

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It is weakness which makes us hate an enemy and seek revenge, and it is idleness that pacifies us and causes us to neglect it.
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One faithful Friend is enough for a man's self, 'tis much to meet with such an one, yet we can't have too many for the sake of others.
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The highest reach of a news-writer is an empty Reasoning on Policy, and vain Conjectures on the public Management.
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Men blush less for their crimes than for their weaknesses and vanity.
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Foolish jokers are thick on the ground, and it rains insects of that sort everywhere. A good joker is a rarity even a man who is such by nature finds it hard to sustain the part for long it seldom happens that the man who makes us laugh wins our esteem.
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A simple garb is the proper costume of the vulgar it is cut for them, and exactly suits their measure, but it is an ornament for those who have filled up their lives with great deeds. I liken them to beauty in dishabille, but more bewitching on that account.
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If a handsome woman allows that another woman is beautiful, we may safely conclude she excels her.
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I do not doubt but that genuine piety is the spring of peace of mind it enables us to bear the sorrows of life, and lessens the pangs of death: the same cannot be said of hypocrisy.
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Men regret their life has been ill-spent, but this does not always induce them to make a better use of the time they have yet to live.
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When a secret is revealed, it is the fault of the man who confided it.
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When a man puts on a Character he is a stranger to, there's as much difference between what he appears, and what he is really in himself, as there is between a VIzor and a Face.
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The generality of men expend the early part of their lives in contributing to render the latter part miserable.
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The finest pleasure is kindness to others.
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If a secret is revealed, the person who has confided it to another is to be blamed.
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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.
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A vain man finds it wise to speak good or ill of himself a modest man does not talk of himself.
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It would be a kind of ferocity to reject indifferently all sorts of praise. One should be glad to have that which comes from good men who praise in sincerity things that are really praiseworthy.
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I am told so many ill things of a man, and I see so few in him, that I begin to suspect he has a real but troublesome merit, as being likely to eclipse that of others.
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We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.
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We trust our secrets to our friends, but they escape from us in love.
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