Voltaire Quotes & Sayings (Page 10)

“The multitude of books is making us ignorant.”

“We cannot always oblige; but we can always speak obligingly.”

“Froth at the top, dregs at bottom, but the middle excellent.”

“Very often, say what you will, a knave is only a fool.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life.”

“The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.”

“It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.”

“The ear is the avenue to the heart.”