The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

Letter to Catherine the Great, 26 May 1767
Le superflu, chose trés nècessaire.
The superfluous is very necessary.
‘Le Mondain’ (1736) v.22
C’est une des superstitions de l’esprit humain d’avoir imaginè que la virginitè pouvait être une
vertu.
It is one of the superstitions of the human mind to have imagined that virginity could be a
virtue.
‘The Leningrad Notebooks’ (c.1735-c.1750) in T. Besterman (ed.) ‘Notebooks’ (2nd ed., 1968) vol. 2, p. 455
Il faut qu’il y ait des moments tranquilles dans les grands ouvrages, comme dans la vie aprés
les instants de passions, mais non pas des moments de dègoût.
There ought to be moments of tranquillity in great works, as in life after the experience of
passions, but not moments of disgust.
‘The Piccini Notebooks’ (c.1735-c.1750) in T. Besterman (ed.) ‘Notebooks’ (2nd ed., 1968) vol. 2, p. 500
Il faut, dans le gouvernement, des bergers et des bouchers.
Governments need to have both shepherds and butchers.
‘The Piccini Notebooks’ (c.1735-c.1750) in T. Besterman (ed.) ‘Notebooks’ (2nd ed., 1968) vol. 2, p. 517
Dieu n’est pas pour les gros bataillons, mais pour ceux qui tirent le mieux.
God is on the side not of the heavy batallions, but of the best shots.
‘The Piccini Notebooks’ (c.1735-c.1750) in T. Besterman (ed.) ‘Notebooks’ (2nd ed., 1968) vol. 2, p. 547.
On doit des ègards aux vivants; on ne doit aux morts que la vèritè.
We owe respect to the living; to the dead we owe only truth.
‘Première Lettre sur Oedipe’ in ‘Oeuvres’ (1785) vol. 1, p. 15n.
La foi consiste á croire ce que la raison ne croit pas...Il ne suffit pas qu’une chose soit possible
pour la croire.
Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough
that a thing be possible for it to be believed.
‘Questions sur l’Encyclopèdie’
Le secret d’ennuyer est...de tout dire.
The way to be a bore is to say everything.
‘Sur la Nature de l’Homme’ v.174-5 in ‘Sept Discours en vers sur l’homme’
The composition of a tragedy requires testicles.
When asked ‘why no woman has ever written a tolerable tragedy’, in a letter from Lord Byron to John
Murray, 2 April 1817
Habacuc ètait capable de tout.
Habakkuk was capable of anything.
Attributed, in ‘Notes & Queries’ vol. 181, p. 46
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.