Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionHistorian
Date of Birth21 November 1694
CityParis, France
CountryFrance
wise adversity men
He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise.
retirement age goes-on
I advise you to go on living solely to enrage those who are paying your annuities. It is the only pleasure I have left.
philosophy flames world
Superstition sets the whole world in flames, but philosophy douses them.
funny men thinking
There are men who can think no deeper than a fact.
zero historical return
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value - zero.
acceptance destiny prudent
Often the prudent, far from making their destinies, succumb to them. -Francois
kings war europe
Los Padres have everything and the people have nothing; 'tis the masterpiece of reason and justice. For my part, I know nothing so divine as Los Padres who make war on Kings of Spain and Portugal and in Europe act as their confessors; who here kill Spaniards and at Madrid send them to Heaven.
sight earthquakes secret
It was decided by the university of Coimbre that the sight of several persons being slowly burned in great ceremony is an infallible secret for preventing earthquakes.
doubt world littles
We are going to a new world... and no doubt it is there that everything is for the best; for it must be admitted that one might lament a little over the physical and moral happenings of our own world.
pigs should-have years
Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches. Stones were formed to be quarried and to build castles; and My Lord has a very noble castle; the greatest Baron in the province should have the best house; and as pigs were made to be eaten, we eat pork all year round; consequently, those who have asserted all is well talk nonsense; they ought to have said that all is for the best.
purpose criminal-mind
There are some that only employ words for the purpose of disguising their thoughts.
tragedy testicles composition
The composition of a tragedy requires testicles.
historical fables ancient
All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say, are just fables that have been agreed upon
historical records crime
History is but the record of crimes and misfortunes. L'histoire n'est que le tableau des crimes et des malheurs