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Genius and great abilities are often wanting sometimes, only opportunities. Some deserve praise for what they have done others for what they would have done.

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
Ability
Opportunity
Often
Abilities
Others
Wanting
Done
Opportunities
Sometimes
Praise
Great
Deserve
Would
Genius

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Man makes up his mind he will preach, and he preaches.
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Among some people arrogance supplies the place of grandeur, inhumanity of decision, and roguery of intelligence.
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It is in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.
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Rarely do they appear great before their valets. [Fr., Rarement ils sont grands vis-a-vis de leur valets-de-chambre.]
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Everything has been said, and we have come too late, now that men have been living and thinking for seven thousand years and more.
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A party spirit betrays the greatest men to act as meanly as the vulgar herd.
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To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.
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Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.
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We should laugh before being happy, for fear of dying without having laughed.
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A dogmatic tone is generally inspired by abysmal ignorance. The man who knows nothing thinks he is informing others of something which he has that moment learnt the man who knows a great deal can scarcely believe that people are ignorant of what he is telling them, and speaks more diffidently.
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It requires more than mere genius to be an author.
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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.
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I take sanctuary in an honest mediocrity.
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Outward simplicity befits ordinary men, like a garment made to measure for them but it serves as an adornment to those who have filled their lives with great deeds: they might be compared to some beauty carelessly dressed and thereby all the more attractive.
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Cunning is none of the best nor worst qualities it floats between virtue and vice there is scarce any exigence where it may not, and perhaps ought not to be supplied by prudence.
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Extremes are vicious, and proceed from men compensation is just, and proceeds from God.
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The whole genius of an author consists in describing well, and delineating character well. Homer, Plato, Virgil, Horace only excel other writers by their expressions and images we must indicate what is true if we mean to write naturally, forcibly and delicately.
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Languages are the keys of science.
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A man often runs the risk of throwing away a witticism if he admits that it is his own.
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It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.
Jean de la Bruyere