Quote

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

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

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
Tone
Littles
Little
Kept
Clothed
Great
Expression
Delivery
Things
Style
Spoiled
Told
Lofty
Simply
Emphasis
Voice
Require
Language

More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

Image
A wise man neither suffers himself to be governed, nor attempts to govern others.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
We need not envy certain people their great wealth they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit us they staked their rest, their health, their honour and their conscience to acquire it, the price is too high, and there is nothing to be gained by such a bargain.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
There is no employment in the world so laborious as that of making to one's self a great name life ends before one has scarcely made the first rough draught of his work.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
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.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
He who can wait for what he desires takes the course not to be exceedingly grieved if he fails of it he, on the contrary, who labors after a thing too impatiently thinks the success when it comes is not a recompense equal to all the pains he has been at about it.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A mediocre mind thinks it writes divinely a good mind thinks it writes reasonably.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A man can deceive a woman by his sham attachment to her provided he does not have a real attachment elsewhere.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Children have neither past nor future and that which seldom happens to us, they rejoice in the present. [Fr., Les enfants n'ont ni passe ni avenir et, ce qui ne nous arrive guere, ils jouissent du present.]
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
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.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Life is a kind of sleep: old men sleep longest, nor begin to wake but when they are to die.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
The Opera is obviously the first draft of a fine spectacle it suggests the idea of one.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Sudden love is latest cured.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and sorrow, especially about trifles, they'll do anything to avoid pain but they enjoy inflicting it: little men already.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A wise man is not governed by others, nor does he try to govern them he prefers that reason alone prevail.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
When we are young we lay up for old age when we are old we save for death.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
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
Image
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.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
We ought not to make those people our enemies who might have become our friends, if we had only known them better.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
There is no excess in the world so commendable as excessive gratitude.
Jean de la Bruyere