I do not mean the polite attention, the gallantry, without hope or design, which has originated in the spirit of chivalry, and is interwoven with the texture of French manners. I understand by this passion the union of desire, friendship, and tenderness, which is inflamed by a single female, which prefers her to the rest of her sex, and which seeks her possession as the supreme or the sole happiness of our being. - From Gibbon's Autobiography . We pardon to the extent that we love. That which is to be loved long must be loved with reason rather than with passion. From Doctor Johnson , as quoted by Cecil .
True love is rooted in the recognition of the moral and mental qualities of the beloved person.
Be to her faults a little blind. From Prior's An English Padlock . Love cannot be anything but egotistical. In their first passion women love their lovers, in the others they love love. In all the others, all she loves is love.