Top 15 Jacques Bénigne Bossuet Quotes

Human wisdom learns a lot if it learns to be silent.

La sagesse humaine apprend beaucoup, si elle apprend à se taire.

God is the one in whom non-being has no place.

Dieu est celui en qui le non-être n'a pas de lieu.

Perfection is the reason for being.

[L]a perfection est la raison d'être.

In the midst of the disguises and artifices that reign among men, it is only attention and vigilance that can save us from surprises.

Au milieu des déguisements et des artifices qui règnent parmi les hommes, il n'y a que l'attention et la vigilance qui nous puissent sauver des surprises.

It is the greatest of all weaknesses to be too afraid of appearing weak.

C'est le plus grande de toutes les faiblesses, que de craindre trop rie paraître faible.

The first of all empires is that which one has over one's desires.

Le premier de tous les empires est celui qu'on a sur ses désirs.

Deism, that is to say a disguised atheism.

[D]éisme, c-est-à-dire […] un athéisme déguisé.

But God laughs at the prayers we make to him to avert public misfortunes, when we do not oppose what is being done to bring them about. What am I saying? when we approve of and subscribe to it, even if with repugnance.