Quotes from Charles de Montesquieu


    Sorted by Popularity


    A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

    Nation | Lose | Liberties


    Peace is a natural effect of trade.

    Peace | Natural | Trade


    The severity of the laws prevents their execution.

    Execution | Laws | Prevents


    In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state.

    Shape | Later | State


    Success in the majority of circumstances depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.

    Success | Succeed | Knowing


    The reason the Romans built their great paved highways was because they had such inconvenient footwear.

    Great | Reason | Romans


    To love to read is to exchange hours of ennui for hours of delight.

    Love | Hours | Exchange


    Men should be bewailed at their birth, and not at their death.

    Death | Men | Birth


    Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

    Free | Fertile | Countries


    Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.

    Useless | Laws | Necessary


    I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.

    Fear | Reading | Hour


    There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.

    Justice | Law | Tyranny


    Liberty is the right to do what the law permits.

    Law | Liberty | Permits


    What orators lack in depth they make up for in length.

    Depth | Lack | Length


    The spirit of moderation should also be the spirit of the lawgiver.

    Spirit | Moderation


    It is always the adventurers who do great things, not the sovereigns of great empires.

    Great | Empires | Sovereigns


    Talent is a gift which God has given us secretly, and which we reveal without perceiving it.

    God | Talent | Gift


    We should weep for men at their birth, not at their death.

    Men | Death | Birth


    Laws undertake to punish only overt acts.

    Laws | Acts | Punish


    If the triangles made a god, they would give him three sides.

    God | Three | Sides


       

      Popular Topics


      Popular Authors

      Authors On The News

      A Quote from the stars