“The world more often rewards outward signs of merit than merit itself.”

“nous aurions honte de nos plus belles actions si le monde voyait tous les motifs qui les produisent”

“Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.”

“But then you begin to understand that the reward of merit is not life’s business.”

“There is often a great deal more of the past in the future than there was in the past itself at the time... one learns little by little that a thing is not over because it is not happening with noise and shape or outward sign.”

“We are often more treacherous through weakness than calculation”

“More glorious to merit a sceptre than to possess one.”