Book: Notes

... I turned to the Empress with a smile and assured her that nothing ever makes me neither to seek nor to slow down my death. In spite of the sophistries of J. J. Rousseau, the ideal of my youth, I will always be of the opinion that to suffer is much more worthy of true courage than to look for abnormal relieve from suffering. The Empress asked what is the fallacy of Rousseau and where I read it.
"In the "New Eloise", I replied. - He argues that we should not fear death, because while we live, death can not be, and when we die, we are no more."

"But you seem to forget, said Kaunitz, that Peter the great introduced Russia into a political Union with other European States, and only with time we began to recognize its existence."
"Look, I would say, is such a vast country as Russia, with all sources of power and wealth, not needs in the way of his greatness in foreign aid. If you manage it well, it is not only unapproachable in his own power, but able to have the fate of other peoples as it pleases. Moreover, excuse me if I notice that it is the non-recognition of Russia before Peter was more ignorance and stupidity of the European Nations to lose sight of such terrible power.

... we are in France care little about how you think and act under the influence of momentary experiences. Our frivolity is not correct neither old age nor long experiences of life.

... education leads to freedom, not the freedom of doing education, the first without the second will never give rise to anarchy and disturbance. When the lower classes of my countrymen will be enlightened, then they want to be free, because you will understand how to enjoy freedom without harm to others and the fruit of it, so necessary to every civilized society.

You know, 'I said,' I don't have a slavish soul; therefore, I can't be a tyrant. So I have a right to your trust regarding this issue. About freedom for our farmers, I once talked with you, and therefore tried to alleviate the situation of my men, giving them more will. But experience has proven that where the stop control of the landlord, tyranny begins government, or rather, the arbitrariness of a petty officer, who under the mask of service and allows himself to plunder and corrupt them. Wealth and happiness serfs are the only source of our own wealth and material profit; if this axiom need to be a fool to Deplete spring personal our interest. The landowners form a transitional power between the throne and the serf class, and therefore beneficial for us to protect the latter from the predatory tyranny of the provincial chiefs.

... too prudent to trust to the friendship of the kings, "She - said he - as short as treacherous."

To appear every morning in the parade as a corporal-major, well-eating, drinking Burgundy, to spend the evening between the clowns and famous women, to fulfill all the orders of the Prussian king, that was the happiness and glory of Peter III, and he had reigned seven months. The greatest enterprise was the desire to deprive the Danish king piece of land, which he considered his property, and with such haste had acted in this matter that even wanted to postpone it until after his coronation.

You the perfect child, <...> as it is clear from your words; otherwise you would know that to abolish the death penalty - so rassuzdat all disobedience and all sorts of disturbances.