Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable. Everything's got a moral, if you can only find it. If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him. Reply to General Manstein. Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.
History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes.
In the best of possible worlds the ch teau of monseigneur the baron was the most beautiful of ch teaux, and madame the best of possible baronesses. The superfluous, a very necessary thing. Crush the infamous thing. There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times. Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung.