What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.

Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a morecalculated sort of pride, which debases itself with a design of being exalted; and though this vice transform itself into a thousand several shapes, yet the disguise is never more effectual nor more capable of deceiving the world than when concealed under a form of humility.

Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner condition in their lesser merit and fortune.

Those whom the world has delighted to honor have oftener been influenced in their doings by ambition and vanity than by patriotism.

Moderation cannot have the credit of combatiug and subduing ambition, they are never found together. Moderation is the languor and indolence of the soul, as ambition is its activity and ardor.

The largest ambition has the least appearance of ambition when it meets with an absolute impossibility in compassing its object.

Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it.