Pierre Corneille

The soul's true liberty is to serve God.

Love is a divine fire.

The path to glory is often paved with suffering.

Heaven is on the side of the just.

The greatest victory is over oneself.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.

To reign is to serve.

There is no greater torment than to love and not be loved.

The most beautiful works are those that please the most people.

The rules of art are not chains, but guides.

Tragedy should move pity and terror.

The theater is a school of virtue.

A good play should be a living picture of human life.

The poet's duty is to please and to instruct.

My greatest pleasure is to see my works performed.

I write to live, and I live to write.

The Muses are my mistresses.

The public is a severe judge.