Catherine the Great Quotes
Empress of Russia
I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.
Power without a nation's confidence is nothing.
I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that's his.
A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.
For to tempt and to be tempted are things very nearly allied - whenever feeling has anything to do in the matter, no sooner is it excited than we have already gone vastly farther than we are aware of.
You philosophers are lucky men. You write on paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I am, I write on the susceptible skins of living beings.
I am one of the people who love the why of things.
I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.
The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
I praise loudly. I blame softly.
I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.
Men make love more intensely at 20, but make love better, however, at 30.
In my position you have to read when you want to write and to talk when you would like to read.
If Russians knew how to read, they would write me off.
Your wit makes others witty.
In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.
All this is only for the mice and myself to admire!