Your wit makes others witty.
It is better to inspire a reform than to enforce it.
Power without a nation’s confidence is nothing.
I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.
If I may venture to be frank I would say about myself that I was every inch a gentleman …
For to tempt and to be tempted are things very nearly allied – whenever feeling has anything to do in the matter, no sooner is it excited than we have already gone vastly farther than we are aware of.
Nothing is more difficult, in my opinion, than to avoid something that fundamentally attracts you.
I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.
In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.
I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper.
The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
Tell a thousand people to draft a letter, let them debate every phrase, and see how long it takes and what you get.
The title of Queen rang sweet to my ears, child though I was. … This idea of a crown began running in my head then like a tune, and has been running a lot in it ever since.
Experience shows that the frequent use of severe punishment has never rendered a people better. The death of a criminal is a less effective means of restraining crimes than the permanent example of a man deprived of his liberty during the whole of his life to make amends for the injury he has done to the public.
If Russians knew how to read they would write me off.
I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.
Happiness and unhappiness are in the heart and spirit of each one of us: If you feel unhappy, then place yourself above that and act so that your happiness does not get to be dependent on anything.
The laws ought to be so framed as to secure the safety of every citizen as much as possible. … Political liberty does not consist in the notion that a man may do whatever he pleases; liberty is the right to do whatsoever the laws allow. … The equality of the citizens consists in that they should all be subject to the same laws.
I have no way to defend my borders but to extend them.
In my position you have to read when you want to write and to talk when you would like to read.
I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed.
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