r has caused La
Rochefoucauld to be criticized severely as a cynic, if not a
misanthrope, appeared only in the first two editions of the book. In
the others, published in the author's lifetime, it was supprest. In
defense of the author, it has been maintained that what he meant by
the saying was that the pleasure derived from a friend's misfortunes
has its origin in the opportunity thus afforded to give him help. The
reader should compare this saying with another that is included in
these selections, "We are easily consoled at the misfortunes of our
friends when they enable us to prove our tenderness for them."]

The confidence we have in ourselves arises in a great measure from
that that we have in others.

Women for the most part surrender themselves more from weakness than
from passion. Whence it is that bold and pushing men succeed better
than others, altho they are not so lovable.

The great ones of the earth can neither command health of body nor
repose of mind, and they buy always at too dear a price the good they
can acquire.

Few things are needed to make a wise man happy; nothing can make a
fool content; that is why most men are miserable.

The harm that others do us is often less than that we do ourselves.

Magnanimity is a noble effort of pride which makes a man master of
himself, to make him master of all things.

BLAISE PASCAL

Born in France in 1623, died in 1662; educated in Paris;
became celebrated at seventeen for a work on conic sections;
became connected with the monastery at Port Royal, whose
doctrines he defended against the Jesuits; published
"Entretien sur Epictete et Montaigne" in 1655; wrote his
"Provincial Letters" in 1656-57; in his last days engaged on
an "Apologie de la Religion Catholique" which, uncompleted,
was published in 1670 as his "Pensees."

OF THE PREVALENCE OF SELF-LOVE[29]

Self is hateful. You, Milton, conceal self, but do not thereby destroy
it; therefore you are still hateful. Not so, for in acting as we do,
to oblige everybody, we give no reason for hating us. True, if we only
hated in self the vexation which it causes us. But if I hate it
because it is unjust, and because it makes itself the center of all, I
shall always hate it.

[Footnote 29: From the "Thoughts." Many translations have been made of
Pascal's "Thoughts"--one in 1680 by J. Walker, one in 1704 by Basil
Kennet, one in 1825 by Edward Craig. A