“'Do you think,' said Candide, 'that men have always massacred each other, as they do today?'
'Do you think,' said Martin, 'that sparrow-hawks have always eaten the pigeons they came across?'
'Yes of course.'
'Well, if sparrow-hawks have always possessed the same nature, why should you expect men to change theirs?'”
More from Voltaire
“To hold a pen is to be at war.”
“Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.”
“Fools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous author is admirable.…”
“Fools admire everything in an author of reputation. For my part, I read only to please…”