But nothing is more estimable than a physician who, having studied nature from his youth, knows the properties of the human body, the diseases which assail it, the remedies which will benefit it, exercises his art with caution, and pays equal attention to the rich and the poor. Voltaire
By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own property. Voltaire
Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause. Voltaire
Divorce is probably of nearly the same date as marriage. I believe, however, that marriage is some weeks the more ancient. Voltaire
Do well and you will have no need for ancestors. Voltaire
Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd. Voltaire
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. Voltaire
Every one goes astray, but the least imprudent are they who repent the soonest. Voltaire
Everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds. Voltaire
Everything's fine today, that is our illusion. Voltaire
Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. Voltaire
Fear follows crime and is its punishment. Voltaire
For take thy balance if thou be so wise And weigh the wind that under heaven doth blow; Or weigh the light that in the east doth rise; Or weigh the thought that from man's mind doth flow. Voltaire
Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce. Voltaire
Froth at the top, dregs at bottom, but the middle excellent. Voltaire
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. Voltaire
God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. Voltaire
He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise. Voltaire
He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked. Voltaire
He shines in the second rank, who is eclipsed in the first. Voltaire
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead. Voltaire
He who has not the spirit of this age, has all the misery of it. Voltaire
He who is not just is severe, he who is not wise is sad. Voltaire
He who thinks himself wise, O heavens! is a great fool. Voltaire
History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes. Voltaire
How inexpressible is the meanness of being a hypocrite! how horrible is it to be a mischievous and malignant hypocrite. Voltaire
How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child's board. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak which he has planted. Voltaire
I advice you to go on living solely to enrage those who are paying you annuities. Voltaire
I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom. Voltaire
I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. Voltaire
I hate women because they always know where things are. Voltaire
I have always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it is: "My God, make our enemies very ridiculous!" God has granted it to me. Voltaire
I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it. Voltaire
I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil. Voltaire
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it. Voltaire
I Thy God am the Light and the Mind which were before substance was divided from Spirit and darkness from Light. Voltaire
Ice-cream is exquisite - what a pity it isn't illegal. Voltaire
If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated. Voltaire
If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him. Voltaire
If the bookseller happens to desire a privilege for his merchandise, whether he is selling Rabelais or the Fathers of the Church, the magistrate grants the privilege without answering for the contents of the book. Voltaire
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him. Voltaire
If we do not find anything pleasant, at least we shall find something new. Voltaire
In every author let us distinguish the man from his works. Voltaire
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another. Voltaire
In the country of Westphalia, in the castle of the most noble Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, lived a youth whom nature had endowed with a most sweet disposition. Voltaire
In this country [England] it is thought well to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others. Voltaire
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes. Voltaire
Injustice in the end produces independence. Voltaire
Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others? Voltaire
It is an infantile superstition of the human spirit that virginity would be thought a virtue and not the barrier that separates ignorance from knowledge. Voltaire
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one. Voltaire
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. Voltaire
It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere. Voltaire
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. Voltaire
It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind. Voltaire
It is new fancy rathert than taste which produces so many new fashions. Voltaire
It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce. Voltaire
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it. Voltaire
It is one of the superstitions of the human mind to have imagined that virginity could be a virtue. Voltaire
It is said that the present is pregnant with the future. Voltaire
It is the flash which appears, the thunderbolt will follow. Voltaire
It is today, my dear, that I take a perilous leap. Voltaire
It is vain for the coward to flee; death follows close behind; it is only by defying it that the brave escape. Voltaire
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. Voltaire
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. Voltaire
Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world. Voltaire
Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire
Love has features which pierce all hearts, he wears a bandage which conceals the faults of those beloved. He has wings, he comes quickly and flies away the same. Voltaire
Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. Voltaire
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. Voltaire
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. Voltaire
Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts. Voltaire
Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts. Voltaire
'That is indisputable,' was the answer, 'but in this country it is a good thing to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.' Voltaire
The ancient Romans built their greatest masterpieces of architecture, their amphitheaters, for wild beasts to fight in. Voltaire
The ancients recommended us to sacrifice to the Graces, but Milton sacrificed to the Devil. Voltaire
The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third. Voltaire
The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. Voltaire
The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one on which depends the rest of our days. Voltaire
The flowery style is not unsuitable to public speeches or addresses, which amount only to compliment. The lighter beauties are in their place when there is nothing more solid to say; but the flowery style ought to be banished from a pleading, a sermon, or a didactic work. Voltaire
The Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire. Voltaire
The ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination. Voltaire
The infinitely little have a pride infinitely great Voltaire
The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all. Voltaire
The little may contrast with the great, in painting, but cannot be said to be contrary to it. Oppositions of colors contrast; but there are also colors contrary to each other, that is, which produce an ill effect because they shock the eye when brought very near it. Voltaire
The mouth obeys poorly when the heart murmurs. Voltaire
The multitude of books is making us ignorant. Voltaire
The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year. Voltaire
The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error. Voltaire
The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it. Voltaire
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death. Voltaire
The secret of being a bore... is to tell everything. Voltaire
The secret of being tiresome is in telling everything. Voltaire
The sovereign is called a tyrant who knows no laws but his caprice. Voltaire
The very impossibility in which I find myself to prove that God is not, discovers to me his existence. Voltaire
The world embarrasses me, and I cannot dream that this watch exists and has no watchmaker. Voltaire
There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times. Voltaire
Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too. Voltaire
This self-love is the instrument of our preservation; it resembles the provision for the perpetuity of mankind: it is necessary, it is dear to us, it gives us pleasure, and we must conceal it. Voltaire
Thou sleepest, Brutus, and yet Rome is in chains. Voltaire
Though one sits in meditation in a particular place, the Self in him can exercise its influence far away. Though still, it moves everywhere... The Self cannot be known by anyone who desists not from unrighteous ways, controls not his senses, stills not his mind, and practices not meditation. Voltaire
To be at peace in crime! ah, who can thus flatter himself. Voltaire
To believe in God is impossible not to believe in Him is absurd. Voltaire
We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard. Voltaire
We must distinguish between speaking to deceive and being silent to be reserved. Voltaire
Weakness on both sides is, as we know, the motto of all quarrels. Voltaire
What a heavy burden is a name that has become too famous. Voltaire
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature. Voltaire
What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy. Voltaire
What then do you call your soul? What idea have you of it? You cannot of yourselves, without revelation, admit the existence within you of anything but a power unknown to you of feeling and thinking. Voltaire
When he to whom one speaks does not understand, and he who speaks himself does not understand, that is metaphysics. Voltaire
When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion. Voltaire
Whoever serves his country well has no need of ancestors. Voltaire
You see many stars at night in the sky but find them not when the sun rises; can you say that there are no stars in the heaven of day? So, O man! because you behold not God in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God. Voltaire
Your destiny is that of a man, and your vows those of a god. Voltaire
Your Majesty may think me an impatient sick man, and that the Turks are even sicker. Voltaire
Type: Writer Date of Birth:
1694-11-21 Year of Death:
1778 Nationality:
