“If there be a love pure and free from the admixture of our other passions, it is that which lies hidden in the bottom of our heart, and which we know not ourselves.”

French aristocrat and 17th-century writer. His *Maxims* dissect human nature with razor-sharp wit, exposing contradictions in pride, love, and ambition. Often called the father of modern moral aphorisms, his work remains a timeless lens on vanity and self-interest.