Joseph Roux

In youth one has tears without grief; in age, griefs without tears.

The folly which we might have ourselves committed is the one which we are least ready to pardon in another.

Evil often triumphs, but never conquers.

Nothing vivifies, and nothing kills, like the emotions.

God is a shower to the heart burned up with grief; God is a sun to the face deluged with tears.

God often visits us, but most of the time we are not at home.

Success causes us to be more praised than known.

We love justice greatly, and just men but little.

Have friends, not for the sake of receiving, but of giving.

What is love? two souls and one flesh; friendship? two bodies and one soul.

When unhappy, one doubts everything; when happy, one doubts nothing.

We call that person who has lost his father, an orphan; and a widower that man who has lost his wife. But that man who has known the immense unhappiness of losing a friend, by what name do we call him? Here every language is silent and holds its peace in impotence.

There is a slowness in affairs which ripens them, and a slowness which rots them.

There are people who laugh to show their fine teeth; and there are those who cry to show their good hearts.

The happiness which is lacking makes one think even the happiness one has unbearable.

Reason guides but a small part of man, and the rest obeys feeling, true or false, and passion, good or bad.

Poetry is the exquisite expression of exquisite expressions.z1b8h9yiWf

We distrust our heart too much, and our head not enough.

Our experience is composed rather of illusions lost than of wisdom acquired.

The chief cause of our misery is less the violence of our passions than the feebleness of our virtues.

Science is for those who learn; poetry for those who know.

In the presence of God we speak too much; we do not listen enough.

Two sorts of writers possess genius; those who think and those who cause others to think.

What is slander? A verdict of “guilty” pronounced in the absence of the accused, with closed doors, without defense or appeal, by an interested and prejudiced judge.

The habit of prayer communicates a penetrating sweetness to the glance, the voice, the smile, the tears, to all one says, or does or writes.