I suffer from the disease of writing books and being ashamed of them when they are finished. Baron de Montesquieu More Quotes by Baron de Montesquieu More Quotes From Baron de Montesquieu Never create by law what can be accomplished by morality. Baron de Montesquieu moralitylawcourage Talent is a gift which God has given us secretly, and which we reveal without perceiving it. Baron de Montesquieu philosophicaltalentgiven There have never been so many civil wars as in the Kingdom of Christ. Baron de Montesquieu civil-warkingdomswar A really intelligent man feels what other men only know. Baron de Montesquieu intelligentfeelsmen Passion makes us feel, but never see clearly. Baron de Montesquieu passionfeels In vain do we seek tranquility in the desert; temptations are always with us; our passions, represented by the demons, never let us alone: those monsters created by the heart, those illusions produced by the mind, those vain specters that are our errors and our lies always appear before us to seduce us; they attack us even in our fasting or our mortifications, in other words, in our very strength. Baron de Montesquieu passionheartlying A prince who loves and fears religion is a lion who stoops to the hand that strokes or to the voice that appeases him. He who fears and hates religion is like the savage beast that growls and bites the chain, which prevents his flying on the passenger. He who has no religion at all is that terrible animal who perceives his liberty only when he tears in pieces, and when he devours. Baron de Montesquieu hateanimalhands Coffee renders many foolish people temporarily capable of wise actions Baron de Montesquieu coffeewisepeople Honor is unknown in despotic states. Baron de Montesquieu despotismstateshonor There is as yet no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from legislative power and the executrix Baron de Montesquieu libertyjudgingifs A good writer does not write as people write, but as he writes. Baron de Montesquieu stylewritingpeople I should like to abolish funerals; the time to mourn a person is at his birth, not his death. Baron de Montesquieu philosophyhistoryart It is not the young people that degenerate; they are not spoiled till those of mature age are already sunk into corruption. Baron de Montesquieu agebirthdaypeople The state of slavery is in its own nature bad. Baron de Montesquieu slaverystates There is a very good saying that if triangles invented a god, they would make him three-sided. Baron de Montesquieu trianglesmathematicsthree I acknowledge that history is full of religious wars: but we must distinguish; it is not the multiplicity of religions which has produced these wars; it was the intolerating spirit which animated that one which thought she had the power of governing. Baron de Montesquieu religiousspiritwar In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state. Baron de Montesquieu institutionsshapesstates The incomparable stupidity of life teaches us to love our parents; divine philosophy teaches us to forgive them. Baron de Montesquieu forgivenesslovephilosophy When virtue is banished, ambition invades the minds of those who are disposed to receive it and avarice possesses the whole community. Baron de Montesquieu communityambitionmind The history of commerce is that of the communication of the people. Baron de Montesquieu commercecommunicationpeople
