Francois Fenelon

There is a set of religious, or rather moral, writings which teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery in this world. A very wholesome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that it is not true.

All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers... Each one owes infinitely more to the human race than to the particular country in which he was born.

There are two principal points of attention necessary for the preservation of this constant spirit of prayer which unites us with God; we must continually seek to cherish it, and we must avoid everything that tends to make us lose it.

How different the peace of God from that of the world! It calms the passions, preserves the purity of the conscience, is inseparable from righteousness, unites us to God and strengthens us against temptations. The peace of the soul consists in an absolute resignation to the will of God.

Do not make best friends with a melancholy sad soul. They always are heavily loaded, and you must bear half.

Children are excellent observers, and will often perceive your slightest defects. In general, those who govern children, forgive nothing in them, but everything in themselves.

Simplicity is that grace which frees the soul from all unnecessary reflections upon itself.

Had we not faults of our own, we should take less pleasure in complaining of others.

Exactness and neatness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind.

A good historian is timeless; although he is a patriot, he will never flatter his country in any respect.

Temptations are a file which rub off much of the rust of our self-confidence.

Good taste rejects excessive nicety.

The more you say the less people remember.

Discouragement is simply the despair of wounded self love.

Faith is letting down our nets into the transparent deeps at the Divine command not knowing what we shall draw.

All earthly delights are sweeter in expectation than in enjoyment; but all spiritual pleasures more in fruition than in expectation.

If we were faultless we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate.

Little opportunities should be improved.

Pure love is in the will alone; it is no sentimental love, for the imagination has no part in it; it loves, if we may so express it, without feeling, as faith believes without seeing.

Nothing is more despicable than a professional talker who uses his words as a quack uses his remedies.

The greater our dread of crosses the more necessary they are for us.

How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak.

All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

Had we not faults of our own we should take less pleasure in complaining of others.

Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.