She decided she wanted a cool, starchy independent life, with ruffles of humor like window curtains. - Mary McCarthy

From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people, and I do not mean this as a paradox, but simply as an observable fact. Only good people can afford to be religious. For the others it is too great a temptation — a temptation to the deadly sins of pride and anger, chiefly, but one might also add sloth.

To be disesteemed by people you don’t have much respect for is not the worst fate.

The Florentines, who were incapable of ruling themselves, produced a great theorist of government: Machiavelli. The Venetians had no theorists and evolved a model Republic.