Catherine II - quotes, aphorisms and sayings. Empress Catherine the Great Quotes

N.M. Karamzin

Historical eulogy to Catherine II

Artist I.S. Sablukov

Fellow citizens! I dare to talk about Catherine - and the greatness of the subject amazes me. I barely uttered Her name, and it seems to me that all the countless peoples of the Russian kingdoms are ready to listen to my words: for everyone adored the Great One. And those who, hiding in the darkness of the distance - under the shadow of the snowy Caucasus or behind the eternal ice of deserted Siberia - never saw the image of the Immortal, and they felt the saving effect of Her rule; and for those She was an invisible, but beneficial Deity. Wherever the sun shone in the Russian regions, Her wisdom shone everywhere.

Happy Speakers, who can decorate and exalt the deeds of their Heroes! Or you, who with the gift of eloquence resurrect the dark exploits of antiquity! Your lot is enviable. They will not say that you have humiliated your subject. Who should judge you harshly? But I must portray the Monarch, who surprised the universe with Her greatness; I must glorify the first Heroine of our time, and in the presence of those for whom Her glory was happiness. She is still alive in their hearts; She also does good to them after death! My features should seem weak... But woe to anyone who, imagining Catherine, can think about the benefits of his insignificant pride! Gratitude and diligence are my glory. And I lived under Her scepter! And I was happy with Her reign! And I will talk about Her! Truth is stronger than imagination; the feeling is more striking than eloquence - and your heart, O Russians, will elevate the effect of my weak talent.

The mirror of centuries, History, presents us with a wonderful play of the mysterious Rock: a diverse, majestic spectacle! What amazing changes! What emergencies! But what most captivates the attention of a wise viewer? The appearance of great souls, the demigods of humanity, whom the incomprehensible Deity uses as the instrument of His important actions. These favorites of Heaven, scattered in the spaces of time, are like suns dragging planetary systems with them: they decide the fate of humanity, determine its path; with an inexplicable force they draw millions of people towards some goal pleasing to Providence; create and destroy kingdoms; form epochs of which all others are only a consequence; they, so to speak, form a chain across the immensity of centuries, give a hand to one another, and their life is the History of Nations.

Fellow citizens! Not only in the shadow of ancient distant times, not only among the sandy seas of Africa, on the fields of Marathon, under the eagles of sovereign Rome, we see such chosen and great mortals! Oh glory to Russia! Under the skies of the beloved fatherland, on its throne, in its crown and purple, Peter and Catherine shone. They were our– and the love of the Almighty sealed them with His seal! They They offer their hands to each other, on the majestic theater of their actions!.. So, Catherine appeared on the throne to revive and magnify the creation of Peter; in Her hand the withered rod of the Immortal blossomed again, and His sacred Shadow calmed down in the fields of eternity; for without any superstition we can think that a great soul, even after separation from the world, is concerned with the fate of its affairs. Catherine the Second, in the strength of the creative spirit and in the active wisdom of rule, was the immediate successor of the Great Peter; The space separating them disappears in History. And two minds, two characters, so different from each other, subsequently create an amazing harmony for the happiness of the Russian people! To approve the glory of the courageous, bold, formidable Peter, Catherine should reign forty years after Him; to prepare In honor of the meek, philanthropic, enlightened Catherine, Peter was to reign: so strong gusts of a beneficent wind agitate the spring atmosphere in order to dispel the cold remnants of winter vapors and prepare Nature for the warm breeze of the Zephyrs!

The wonderful Providence of the Almighty, incomprehensible to mortals! Who would have thought of looking at one of the modest Princely Courts of Germany, in the quiet family of Anhalt - the House of Cerst - who would have thought of looking there for the reasons for our prosperity and the glory of the Russian people? What Ulysses could recognize this new Pyrrha in Her first, tender youth? What wise Astrologer, seeing the morning dawn of this majesty, would predict in Catherine the rise of a radiant luminary for northern Europe and Asia? It seemed that fate had destined Her to be the virtuous wife of some happy German Prince. The modest moral virtues of the gentle sex were the only subject of the parents during Her upbringing. Often, amid the glory of Her reign, in sincere outpourings of friendship (which only great Monarchs know how to enjoy on the throne), She said with an Angelic smile to the most worthy of her subjects: “I was raised for family life; Providence revealed to me the science of reigning”... Providence! So, of course: His immediate gifts produce everything extraordinary in the world. The first upbringing determines the fate of some ordinary souls; the great, breaking, so to speak, its bonds, freely indulge in inner striving, like Socrates, they listen to the secret Genius, seek their place on the globe and form themselves for it. One spark, and the life-giving fire of Prometheus burns; one great thought, and a great mind, screaming, soars like an eagle under the clouds!

Catherine was known in Germany for Her beauty, intelligence and modest courtesy when Elizabeth called upon Her to decorate the Russian Court. You, who had the good fortune to see Her blooming youth at that time, you still speak with delight about the first living feelings of surprise aroused in your heart by Her angelic appearance, a rare combination of divine charms! I saw the radiant west of this luminary, and nothing more majestic seemed to my eyes. She was born for autocracy. Meekness, pleasantness of mind, the innate art of captivating the souls of people with a single fir, with a single glance, produced the universal love of the Court for Her. He was a school for Catherine, who had the advantage of noticing his magical play without being on the throne. Here Her penetrating gaze revealed the weaknesses of the human heart, the dangers of Kings and the cunning methods used by evil to seduce them: an important discovery for the science of reigning! Here She read in kind hearts all the secret desires of the true sons of the fatherland; the quiet voice of the Patriots reached Her tender ears... They spoke with delight about Peter the Great and His great intentions. Catherine wanted to know this demigod of the Russians, and all his deeds, all his laws, along with the most ancient chronicles of our state, were the subject of her keenest curiosity. This is not enough: the most glorious foreign Authors and Philosophers, like beneficent Geniuses, daily decorated Her mind with new jewels of thoughts; in their creations She looked for the rules of wise Politics, and often, leaning her sacred hand on the immortal pages Spirit of laws revealed in Her mind ideas about national happiness, anticipating that She Herself would be the creator of it for the vastest Empire in the world!.. Imagining this spiritual activity, I seem to see in front of me young Alcides, who, in silence, gathering strength, strengthening his muscles and his ramen, preparing to undertake heroic deeds... Ah! The feat of the wise King is the most pleasant in the world!

And Catherine is on the throne!.. Already on the immortal marble of History this unforgettable day for Russia is depicted: I resist the impulse of my heart to describe its greatness... Beauty in the image of the warlike Pallas!.. Around the brilliant ranks of Heroes; the flame of zeal in their chests!.. Before Her is the sacred horror and Genius of Russia!.. Relying on Courage, the Goddess walks - and Glory, rattling a trumpet in the clouds, lowers a laurel wreath on Her head!..

With Catherine, meek wisdom, divine love of glory (the source of all great deeds), tireless activity, knowledge of the human heart, knowledge of the century, a zealous desire to complete what Peter began, to enlighten the people, to form Russia, to establish its happiness on the unshakable pillars, to reconcile everything, sat on the throne. part of the government, and buy immortality by the deeds of the Mother of the Fatherland. The Monarch made this vow in the depths of Her soul, and the heavenly Heart-Knower gave Her the strength to fulfill it.

Fellow citizens! Catherine is immortal with Her own victories, wise laws and beneficent institutions: our gaze follows her on these three paths of glory.

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The historical significance of the activities of Catherine II The historical significance of the activities of Catherine II is determined quite easily on the basis of what we have said about individual aspects of Catherine’s policy. We saw that Catherine, upon her accession to the throne, dreamed

Catherine II the Great (Sophia Frederika Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst), was born on April 21, 1729, in the city of Stettin, Prussia. Empress of All Russia (1762-1796). The period of her reign is often considered the “golden age” of the Russian Empire. The Senate of the Russian Empire presented her with the epithets of Catherine the Great and the Wise Great Mother of the Fatherland. She died on November 6, 1796 in the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg.

The winners are not judged.

To manage means to foresee.

There is nothing perfect in the world.

Minor weaknesses go away on their own.

Of all the most harmful vices, lying is a lie.

Honor your parents at any age.

The people who sing and dance do not think evil.

There is no shame in admitting to a person your mistake.

By doing a favor to your neighbor, you will do a favor to yourself.

For those who have not studied in their youth, old age can be boring.

A great state cannot live without taking into account its population.

If you see your neighbor's vices, do not judge him.

It is better to acquit ten guilty than to accuse one innocent.

It is much better to prevent crimes than to punish them.

The child shows gratitude to his parents with obedience and respect.

Those who are envious or want this and that will not have fun.

It is an inevitable law that error always follows truth.

Having overcome any kind of work, a person feels pleasure.

Every child is born unlearned. It is the duty of parents to teach their children.

Books are a mirror: although they do not speak, they declare every guilt and vice.

It is much easier to do something nice for everyone than for everyone to please you.

The first rule is to make people think that they themselves want it.

A person with a mediocre mind, even if he puts in the work, cannot be skilled.

Petty rules and pathetic refinements should not have access to your heart.

He who has joy and cannot have fun is sick or gives himself over to his thoughts into oppression.

If I were a man, I would certainly be killed before reaching the rank of captain.

Swear words offend the lips from which they come as much as the ears into which they enter.

I get robbed just like everyone else, but this is a good sign and shows that there is something to steal.

A cure for stupidity has not yet been found. Reason and common sense are not like smallpox: you cannot vaccinate.

Never let flatterers besiege you: let us feel that you do not like either praise or baseness.

It is fitting for a person to have patience in his labors and suffering, and generosity towards human faults and mistakes.

Trust only those who have the courage to cross you on occasion and who prefer your good name to your mercy.

A person with a kind heart tries to turn every thing and deed into good; a person with a bad heart tries to find evil in good.

There is debauchery in the home: if the housewife likes to listen to various lies, and having heard it, she tells it to her husband, and the husband believes it.

It should. to arouse in them (youth) a desire for hard work and so that they fear idleness as the source of all evil and delusion.

Do good in order to do good, and not in order to gain praise or gratitude. Good deeds bring rewards of their own accord.

To bear something in the heart that another could not bear is the experience of a strong soul, but to do that good which another could not do is a commendable deed.

If a statesman is mistaken, if he reasons poorly, takes erroneous measures, then the whole people experience the harmful consequences of this.

States in which there is no respect for the sovereign, in those in charge, in which there is no respect for the elderly, or for fathers and mothers, are close to collapse.

A skillful shooter, not hitting the target, does not blame the bow or arrows, but demands an account from himself in the prophet: however, for this purpose he does not lose courage and hunt.

Study people, try to use them without trusting them indiscriminately; look for true dignity, even if it is at the end of the world: for the most part it is modest and “hiding somewhere” in the distance. Valor does not stand out from the crowd, is not greedy, does not fuss, and allows one to forget about oneself.

Every parent must abstain in front of his children not only from deeds, but also from words tending towards injustice and violence, such as swearing, swearing, fighting, all cruelty and similar actions, and not allow those who surround his children , give them such bad examples.

Be gentle, humane, accessible, compassionate and generous; Let your greatness not prevent you from kindly condescending to small people and putting yourself in their position so that this kindness never diminishes either your power or their respect. Listen to everything that is at least somewhat worthy of attention; let everyone see that you think and feel the way you should think and feel. Act in such a way that good people will love you, evil people will fear you, and everyone will respect you.

The job of a good housewife is: to be quiet, modest, constant, careful; Diligent to God, respectful to father-in-law and mother-in-law; treat your husband lovingly and decently, teach small children to justice and love for your neighbor; Be polite in front of relatives and relatives, listen willingly to kind speeches, and abhor lies and deceit; not to be idle, but diligent in every product and thrifty in expenses.

) - November 6 (17)

Coronation: September 22 (October 3) Predecessor: Peter III Successor: Paul I Citizenship: Russian Empire Religion: Orthodoxy Birth: May 2
Stettin Castle, Kingdom of Prussia Death: November 6 (17)(67 years old)

Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire Burial place: Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg Genus: Askania Birth name: German Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg Father: Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst Mother: Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp Spouse: Peter III Children: Pavel I Petrovich
Anna Petrovna
Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky Autograph: Monogram: Awards:

Aphorisms, quotes, sayings, phrases Catherine II the Great

Catherine II Alekseevna the Great (née Sophia Auguste Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst, German: Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, in Orthodoxy Ekaterina Alekseevna) - Empress of All Russia from 1762 to 1796. The daughter of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, Catherine came to power in a palace coup that overthrew her unpopular husband Peter III from the throne. Catherine's era was marked by the maximum enslavement of the peasants and the comprehensive expansion of the privileges of the nobility. The borders of the Russian Empire were significantly expanded to the west (divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and to the south (annexation of Novorossiya). The public administration system has been reformed for the first time since the time of Peter I. Culturally, Russia finally became one of the great European powers, which was greatly facilitated by the empress herself, who was fond of literary activity, collected masterpieces of painting and corresponded with French educators. In general, Catherine’s policy and her reforms fit into the mainstream of enlightened absolutism of the 18th century.

I have the honor of being Russian, I'm proud of it, I will defend my homeland and language om, and pen, and sword - while I have enough life...

No people and about which so many lies, absurdities and slander would have been invented You like the Russian people.

Study people, try to use them without trusting them indiscriminately; Find true dignity, even if it were at the end of the world: for the most part it is modest and hidden somewhere in the distance. Valor does not stand out from the crowd, is not greedy, does not fuss, and allows one to forget about oneself.

Those who are envious or want this and that will not have fun.

Russian people there is a special people in general light e, which is different hell with which, mind, strength. I know this from being twenty experience God gave the Russians special properties... I believe that the star of the East will rise, from where the light should shine, for there (in Russia) pain higher than somewhere stored under the ashes spirit of power and strength.

  • A cure for stupidity has not yet been found. Reason and common sense are not like smallpox: you cannot vaccinate.
  • Never let flatterers besiege you: let us feel that you do not like either praise or baseness.
  • It is fitting for a person to have patience in his labors and suffering, and generosity towards human faults and mistakes.
  • Trust only those who have the courage to cross you on occasion and who prefer your good name to your mercy.
  • A person with a kind heart tries to turn every thing and deed into good; a person with a bad heart tries to find evil in good.
  • There is depravity in the home: if the housewife likes to listen to various lies, and after listening, she tells them to her husband, and the husband believes it.
  • It should. to arouse in them (youth) a desire for hard work and so that they fear idleness as the source of all evil and delusion.
  • Do good in order to do good, and not in order to gain praise or gratitude. Good deeds bring rewards of their own accord.
  • To bear something in the heart that another could not bear is the experience of a strong soul, but to do that good which another could not do is a commendable deed.
  • If a statesman is mistaken, if he reasons poorly, takes erroneous measures, then the whole people experience the harmful consequences of this.
  • States in which there is no respect for the sovereign, in those in charge, in which there is no respect for the elderly, or for fathers and mothers, are close to collapse.
  • A skillful shooter, not hitting the target, does not blame the bow or arrows, but demands an account from himself in the prophet: however, for this purpose he does not lose courage and hunt.
  • Study people, try to use them without trusting them indiscriminately; look for true dignity, even if it is at the end of the world: for the most part it is modest and “hiding somewhere” in the distance. Valor does not stand out from the crowd, is not greedy, does not fuss, and allows one to forget about oneself.
  • Every parent must abstain in front of his children not only from deeds, but also from words tending towards injustice and violence, such as swearing, swearing, fighting, all cruelty and similar actions, and not allow those who surround his children , give them such bad examples.
  • Be gentle, humane, accessible, compassionate and generous; Let your greatness not prevent you from kindly condescending to small people and putting yourself in their position so that this kindness never diminishes either your power or their respect. Listen to everything that is at least somewhat worthy of attention; let everyone see that you think and feel the way you should think and feel. Act in such a way that good people will love you, evil people will fear you, and everyone will respect you.
  • The job of a good housewife is: to be quiet, modest, constant, careful; Diligent to God, respectful to father-in-law and mother-in-law; treat your husband lovingly and decently, teach small children to justice and love for your neighbor; Be polite in front of relatives and relatives, listen willingly to kind speeches, and abhor lies and deceit; not to be idle, but diligent in every product and thrifty in expenses.

The most complete collection of sayings, quotes, aphorisms and sayings of Empress Catherine the Great

For those who have not studied in their youth, old age can be boring.

Since we make mistakes, we need to make them beautifully.

Every parent must abstain in front of his children not only from deeds, but also from words tending towards injustice and violence, such as swearing, swearing, fighting, all cruelty and similar actions, and not allow those who surround his children to give them such bad examples.

Teaching adorns a person in happiness, but serves as a refuge in misfortune.

To bear something in the heart that another could not bear is the experience of a strong soul, but to do that good which another could not do is a commendable deed.

A skillful shooter, not hitting the target, does not blame the bow or arrows, but demands an account from himself: however, for this purpose he does not lose courage and hunting.

Study people, try to use them without trusting them indiscriminately; look for true dignity, even if it is at the end of the world: for the most part it is modest and in the distance. Valor does not stand out from the crowd, is not greedy, does not fuss, and allows one to forget about oneself.

Labor is overcome by labor.

Idleness is the mother of boredom and many vices.

Love for the fatherland, shame and fear of reproach are taming means that can restrain many crimes.

Of all the most harmful vices, lying is a lie.

Laziness is a bad teacher.

Books are mirrors, although they do not speak, they declare every guilt and vice.

Keep within yourself those great spiritual qualities that make up the distinctive identity of an honest person, a great person and a hero. Be afraid of any artificiality. Let not the infection of vulgarity darken your ancient taste for honor and valor.

Conscience is an inner, closed luminary, which illuminates only the person himself, and speaks to him in a quiet voice without sound; gently touching the soul, bringing it to its senses, and following a person everywhere, does not give him mercy in any case.

A reasonable person does not consider it a shame to learn even at an advanced age what he did not complete in his youth.

Double-mindedness is alien to great people: they despise all baseness.

If you see your neighbor's vices, do not condemn him with your own.

A person with a mediocre mind, if he puts in the work, can be skillful.

Do good in order to do good, and not in order to gain praise or gratitude. Good deeds themselves bring rewards.

The most reliable, but also the most difficult means of making people better is bringing education to perfection.

Petty rules and pathetic refinements should not have access to your heart.

He who has joy and cannot have fun is sick, or is given over to his thoughts into oppression.

It is necessary... to arouse in them (youth) a desire for hard work and so that they fear idleness as the source of all evil and delusion.

It is fitting for a person to have patience in his labors and suffering, and generosity towards human faults and mistakes.

Be gentle, humane, accessible, compassionate and generous; Let your greatness not prevent you from being good-naturedly condescending to small people and putting yourself in their position, so that this kindness never diminishes either your power or their respect. Listen to everything that is at least somewhat worthy of attention; let everyone see that you think and feel the way you should think and feel. Act in such a way that good people will love you, evil people will fear you, and everyone will respect you.

Swear words offend the lips from which they come as much as the ears into which they enter.

A person with a kind heart tries to turn every thing and deed into good; a person with a bad heart tries to find evil in good.

A reasonable person can always find an exercise.

Trust only those who have the courage to cross you on occasion and who prefer your good name to your mercy.

***

Having overcome any kind of work, a person feels pleasure.

He who is satisfied with his condition has a joyful life.

Those who are accustomed to work have their work made easier.

Those who are envious or want this and that will not have fun.

Every child is born unlearned. It is the duty of parents to teach their children.

It is much better to prevent crimes than to punish them.

The child shows gratitude to his parents with obedience and respect.

A conversation with the ignorant is sometimes more instructive than a conversation with scientists.

It is better to acquit ten guilty people than to accuse one innocent person.

Happiness is not as blind as people imagine it to be. It is often the result of a long series of measures, true and accurate.

By doing a favor to your neighbor, you will do a favor to yourself.

Never allow flatterers to besiege you: let us feel that you do not like either praise or baseness.

It is better to study all your life than to remain ignorant.

There is no shame in admitting to a person your mistake.

People themselves are often the cause of their own happiness and unhappiness.

The winners are not judged.

It is an inevitable law that error always follows truth.

There is debauchery in the home: if the housewife likes to listen... all sorts of lies, and after listening, she tells them more to her husband, and the husband believes it.

Interesting information:

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*****
Labor is overcome by labor.
*****

*****
Of all the most harmful vices, lying is a lie.
*****
Honor your parents at any age.
*****
I praise loudly and blame in a low voice.
*****
Those who are accustomed to work have their work made easier.
*****
Idleness is the mother of boredom and many vices.
*****
He who says what he wants will hear what he doesn’t want.
*****
There is no shame in admitting to a person your mistake.
*****
He who is satisfied with his condition has a joyful life.
*****
A reasonable person can always find an exercise.
*****
The human race is generally prone to injustice.
*****
By doing a favor to your neighbor, you will do a favor to yourself.
*****
It is better to study all your life than to remain ignorant.
*****
For those who have not studied in their youth, old age can be boring.
*****
There is nothing more dangerous than wanting to make regulations for everything.
*****
Double-mindedness is alien to great people: they despise all baseness.
*****
Every Russian, deep down in his soul, does not like a single foreigner.
*****
People themselves are often the cause of their own happiness and unhappiness.
*****
Those who are envious or want this and that will not have fun.
*****
If you see your neighbor's vices, do not condemn him with your own.
*****
The child shows gratitude to his parents with obedience and respect.
*****
It is much better to prevent crimes than to punish them.
*****
It is better to acquit ten guilty people than to accuse one guilty person.
*****
Having overcome any kind of work, a person feels pleasure.
*****
When making a law, put yourself in the place of the one who must obey it.
*****
Books are mirrors, although they do not speak, they declare every guilt and vice.
*****
Every child is born unlearned. It is the duty of parents to teach their children.
*****
A conversation with the ignorant is sometimes more instructive than a conversation with scientists.
*****
Teaching adorns a person in happiness, but serves as a refuge in misfortune.
*****
A person with a mediocre mind, if he puts in the work, can be skillful.
*****
The first rule is to make people think that they themselves want it.
*****
Courtesy is based on not having a bad opinion of either yourself or your neighbor.
*****
Thoughts caused by the very course of events arise at once in more than one head.
*****
The rules of education are the first foundations that prepare us to be citizens.
*****
Petty rules and pathetic refinements should not have access to your heart.
*****
He who has joy and cannot have fun is sick, or is given over to his thoughts into oppression.
*****
Laws that do not preserve measure in good are the reason that immeasurable evil is born from here.
*****
A cure for stupidity has not yet been found. Reason and common sense are not like smallpox: you cannot vaccinate.
*****
A very bad policy is one that changes by laws what should be changed by customs.
*****
Swear words offend the lips from which they come as much as the ears into which they enter.
*****
Men in their twenties make love more passionately, but in their thirties they make love much better.
*****
A reasonable person does not consider it a shame to learn even at an advanced age what he did not complete in his youth.
*****
I get robbed just like others, but this is a good sign and shows that there is something to steal.
*****
Never allow flatterers to besiege you: let us feel that you do not like either praise or baseness.
*****

*****
It is fitting for a person to have patience in his labors and suffering, and generosity towards human faults and mistakes.
*****
Fear may kill crime, but it also kills virtue. He who does not dare to think dares only to grovel.
*****
The most reliable, but also the most difficult means of making people better is bringing education to perfection.
*****
Love for the fatherland, shame and fear of reproach are taming means that can restrain many crimes.
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Trust only those who have the courage to cross you on occasion and who prefer your good name to your mercy.
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There is debauchery in the home: if the housewife likes to listen... to all sorts of lies, and having heard it, she tells it to her husband, and the husband believes it.
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A person with a kind heart tries to turn every thing and deed into good; a person with a bad heart tries to find evil in good.
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It also happens that people say something that they really don’t know, just to find out whether they guessed correctly.
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Do good in order to do good, and not in order to gain praise or gratitude. Good deeds bring rewards of their own accord.
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To bear something in the heart that another could not bear is the experience of a strong soul, but to do that good which another could not do is a commendable deed.
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A skilled shooter, not hitting the target, does not lay the blame on the bow or arrows, but demands an account from himself in the prophet: however, for this purpose he does not lose courage and hunting.
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Happiness is not as blind as it is imagined. Often it is the result of a long series of measures, true and accurate, not noticed by the crowd and preceding the event.
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The people are by nature restless, ungrateful and full of informers and people who, under the pretext of zeal, are only looking for how to turn everything suitable for them to their advantage.
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It seems that I am becoming like the Shah of Bahama, who always ended his arguments with the words: “It’s not my fault if you don’t understand me, but I understand myself very well.”
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You forget only one thing, namely the difference that exists between your situation and mine: you work only on paper, which tolerates everything... but I, poor empress, I work on human skin, which is sensitive and ticklish to the highest degree.
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Although the Senate sent decrees and commands to the provinces, they executed the decrees of the Senate so poorly that it almost became a proverb to say: “they are waiting for the third decree,” since they did not comply with the first and second.
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My desire and my pleasure would be to make everyone happy, but since everyone wants to be happy only in accordance with their character or understanding, my desires often met obstacles.
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Keep within yourself those great spiritual qualities that make up the distinctive identity of an honest man, a great man and a hero. Be afraid of any artificiality. Let not the infection of vulgarity darken your ancient taste for honor and valor.
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Conscience is an inner, closed luminary, which illuminates only the person himself, and speaks to him in a quiet voice without sound; gently touching the soul, bringing it to its senses, and following a person everywhere, does not give him mercy in any case.
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