Charles Maurice de Talleyrand famous quotes

What clever man has ever needed to commit a crime? Crime is the last resort of political half-wits.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Clever #Men #Political

Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Dinner #Lasts #Hours

Nothing succeeds so well as success.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Success #Succeed #Wells

Society is divided into two classes: the shearers and the shorn. We should always be with the former against the latter.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Class #Two #Society

The bold defiance of a woman is the certain sign of her shame, - when she has once ceased to blush, it is because she has too much to blush for.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Too Much #Shame #Certain

Without freedom of the press, there can be no representative government.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Government #Freedom Of The Press

Espresso is to Italy, what champagne is to France.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Coffee #Espresso #France

I found there a country with thirty-two religions and only one sauce.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Country #Two #Insulting

To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Clever #Men #Political

A woman will sometimes forgive the man who tries to seduce her, but never the man who misses an opportunity when offered.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Women #Opportunity #Missing

Those who did not live during the years close to 1789 do not know the pleasure of living.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Years #History #Pleasure

Regimes may fall and fail, but I do not.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Fall #May #Failing

Too much sensibility creates unhappiness and too much insensibility creates crime.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Too Much #Unhappiness #Crime

Love of glory can only create a great hero; contempt of glory creates a great man.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Hero #Men #Glory

The rich man despises those who flatter him too much, and hates those who do not flatter him at all.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Hate #Men #Too Much

The art of statesmanship is to foresee the inevitable and to expedite its occurrence.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Art #Political #Inevitable

Mistrust first impulses; they are nearly always good.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Political #Firsts #Mistrust

Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Love #Sweet #Coffee

She is such a good friend that she would throw all her acquaintances into the water for the pleasure of fishing them out again.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Sarcastic #Good Friend #Fishing

Since the masses are always eager to believe something, for their benefit nothing is so easy to arrange as facts.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Believe #Political #Benefits

A court is an assembly of noble and distinguished beggars.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Political #Noble #Ears

Suave molecules of Mocha stir up your blood, without causing excess heat; the organ of thought receives from it a feeling of sympathy; work becomes easier and you will sit down without distress to your principal repast which will restore your body and afford you a calm, delicious night.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Coffee #Night #Blood

Merit, however inconsiderable, should be sought for and rewarded. Methods are the master of masters.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Merit #Should #Masters

Speech has been given to man to disguise his thoughts.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Men #Speech #Given

There are many people who have the gift, or failing, of never understanding themselves. I have been unlucky enough, or perhaps fortunate enough to have received the opposite gift.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Opposites #People #Understanding

In a novel, the author gives the leading character intelligence and distinction. Fate goes to less trouble: mediocrities play a part in great events simply from happening to be there.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Writing #Character #Fate

War is much too serious a thing to be left to military men.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Peace #Military #War

It is not an event; it is a piece of news.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Events #News #Pieces

In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Sarcastic #Flirting #Order

The reputation of a man is like his shadow, gigantic when it precedes him, and pigmy in its proportions when it follows.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Men #Shadow #Reputation

Speech was given to man to disguise his thoughts. [Fr., La parole a ete donnce a l'homme pour deguiser sa pensee.]
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Men #Speech #Parole

Love is a reality which is born in the fairy region of romance.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Love #Reality #Romance

Whoever did not live in the years neighboring 1789 does not know what the pleasure of living means. [Fr., Qui n'a pas vecu dans les annees voisines de 1789 ne sait pas ce que c'est le palisir de vivre.]
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Life #Mean #Years

Beauty, devoid of grace, is a mere hook without the bait.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Grace #Bait #Hook

Methods are the masters of masters.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Masters #Method

It is the beginning of the end. [Fr., C'est le commencement de al fin.]
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Als #Ends #Fins

I know where there is more wisdom than is found in Napoleon, Voltaire, or all the ministers present and to come - in public opinion.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Public Opinion #Opinion #Ministers

A married man with a family will do anything for money.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Family #Men #Married

Never speak ill of yourself, your friends will always say enough on that subject.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Speak #Enough #Ill

An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Art #Government #Names

If we go on explaining we shall cease to understand one another.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Understanding #Goes On #Explaining

A clever woman often compromises her husband; a stupid woman only compromises herself.
-- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

#Clever #Husband #Women