Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux

“No man is a hero to his valet.”

“A fool always finds a greater fool to admire him.”

“I call a cat a cat.”

“Love reason then. Let all your works be based on reason.”

“Criticism is easy, and art is difficult.”

“The most foolish animal, in my opinion, is man.”

“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”

“What is well conceived is clearly stated, And the words to say it come easily.”

“He who does not know how to limit himself has never known how to write.”

“Often the fear of one evil leads us into a worse.”

“Hasten slowly, and without losing heart; Twenty times upon the anvil place your work.”

“The truth may sometimes not be probable.”

“Nothing is beautiful but the truth.”

“Time, which changes everything, also changes our moods.”

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty.”

“Before writing, learn to think.”

“All styles are good save the tiresome kind.”