Top 20 Quotes by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

The reputation of a man is like his shadow, gigantic when it precedes him, and pigmy in its proportions when it follows.

Love of glory can only create a great hero; contempt of glory creates a great man.

Too much sensibility creates unhappiness and too much insensibility creates crime.

Without freedom of the press, there can be no representative government.

The art of statesmanship is to foresee the inevitable and to expedite its occurrence.

Mistrust first impulses; they are nearly always good.

I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.

A court is an assembly of noble and distinguished beggars.

The bold defiance of a woman is the certain sign of her shame, - when she has once ceased to blush, it is because she has too much to blush for.

Ones reputation is like a shadow, it is gigantic when it precedes you, and a pigmy in proportion when it follows.