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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
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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
Friends
Known
Become
Better
Might
Make
Enemies
People
Ought
Enemy
More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere
It takes talent to please the people in a sermon by a flowery style, a cheerful ethic, brilliant sallies and lively descriptions but such a talent is inadequate. A better sort of talent neglects these extraneous ornaments, unworthy to be used in the service of the Gospel: such a preacher's sermon will be simple, strong and Christian.
Jean de la Bruyere
A person's worth in this world is estimated according to the value he puts on himself.
Jean de la Bruyere
Nothing more clearly shows how little God esteems his gift to men of wealth, money, position and other worldly goods, than the way he distributes these, and the sort of men who are most amply provided with them.
Jean de la Bruyere
If some persons died, and others did not die, death would be a terrible affliction.
Jean de la Bruyere
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
The nearer we come to great men the more clearly we see that they are only men. They rarely seem great to their valets.
Jean de la Bruyere
The highest reach of a news-writer is an empty Reasoning on Policy, and vain Conjectures on the public Management.
Jean de la Bruyere
If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?
Jean de la Bruyere
We never love with all our heart and all our soul but once, and that is the first time.
Jean de la Bruyere
It is no more in our power to love always than it was not to love at all.
Jean de la Bruyere
Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate, envious, inquisitive, egotistical, idle, fickle, timid, intemperate, liars, and dissemblers they laugh and weep easily, are excessive in their joys and sorrows, and that about the most trifling objects they bear no pain, but like to inflict it on others already they are men.
Jean de la Bruyere
Most men spend the best part of their lives making the remaining part wretched.
Jean de la Bruyere
There is a pleasure in meeting the glance of a person whom we have lately laid under some obligations.
Jean de la Bruyere
A pious man is one who would be an atheist if the king were.
Jean de la Bruyere
Criticism is as often a trade as a science, requiring, as it does, more health than wit, more labour than capacity, more practice than genius.
Jean de la Bruyere
I take sanctuary in an honest mediocrity.
Jean de la Bruyere
When, after having read a work, loftier thoughts arise in your mind and noble and heartfelt feelings animate you, do not look for any other rule to judge it by it is fine and written in a masterly manner.
Jean de la Bruyere
It is boorish to live ungraciously: the giving is the hardest part what does it cost to add a smile?
Jean de la Bruyere
A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on some other subject of which he has but a slight knowledge if such an illustrious man ventures beyond the bounds of his capacity, he loses his way and talks like a fool.
Jean de la Bruyere
The court is like a palace built of marble I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]
Jean de la Bruyere
