Voltaire - Work Quotes

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There ought to be moments of tranquillity in great works, as in life after the experience of passions, but not moments of disgust.

Voltaire
"Let us work without reasoning," said Martin; "it is the only way to make life endurable."

Voltaire
Morality is everywhere the same for all men, therefore it comes from God; sects differ, therefore they are the work of men.

Voltaire
Work banishes those three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty.

Voltaire
Religion may be purified. This great work was begun two hundred years ago: but men can only bear light to come in upon them by degrees.

Voltaire
The flowery style is not unsuitable to public speeches or addresses, which amount only to compliment. The lighter beauties are in their place when there is nothing more solid to say; but the flowery style ought to be banished from a pleading, a sermon, or a didactic work.

Voltaire
Let the punishments of criminals be useful. A hanged man is good for nothing; a man condemned to public works still serves the country, and is a living lesson.

Voltaire
In every author let us distinguish the man from his works.

Voltaire
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.

Voltaire
Work saves us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need.

Voltaire
Work is often the father of pleasure; I pity the man overwhelmed with the weight of his own leisure.

Voltaire
One feels like crawling on all fours after reading your work.

Voltaire
Work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty.

Voltaire
Work keeps away those three great evils: boredom, vice, and poverty.

Voltaire
If you are attacked as regards your style, never reply; it is for your work alone to make answer.

Voltaire
Before receiving your instruction, I must tell you what happened to me one day. I had just had a closet built at the end of my garden. I heard a mole arguing with a cockchafer; 'Here's a fine structure,' said the mole, 'it must have been a very powerful mole who did this work.' 'You're joking,' said the cockchafer; 'it's a cockchafer full of genius who is the architect of this building.' From that moment I resolved never to argue.

Voltaire