193 Quotes by Baron de Montesquieu

There is still another inconvenieney in conquests made by democracies; their government is ever odious to the conquered states. It is apparently monarchical, but in reality it is more oppressive than monarchy, as the experience of all ages and countries evinces.

The power of divorce can be given only to those who feel the inconveniences of marriage, and who are sensible of the moment when it is for their interest to make them cease.

If triangles had a god, he would have three sides.

C est le tyran qui m outrage, et non pas celui qui exerce la tyrannie.

The sublimity of administration consists in knowing the proper degree of power that should be exerted on different occasions.

The pagan religion, which prohibited only some of the grosser crimes, and which stopped the hand but meddled not with the heart, might have crimes that were inexplicable.

The coffee is prepared in such a way that it makes those who drink it witty: at least there is not a single soul who, on quitting the house, does not believe himself four times wittier that when he entered it.

If you run after wit, you will succeed in catching folly.

My dear Usbek, when women feel, as they lose their attractiveness, that their end is coming in advance, they would like to go backwards to youth again. How could they possibly not attempt to deceive other people? – they make every effort to deceive themselves, and to escape from the most distressing thought we can have.