Best 43 quotes of Catherine The Great on MyQuotes

All punishments by which the human body might be maimed are barbarbarism.

Any man who doesn't partake in cigar smoking is nothing more than a weak-willed, meandering oaf, and I would never put my lips to those of any creature, man or beast, whose lips were not fresh awash in the currents of cigar smoke.'

Assuredly men of merit are never lacking at any time, for those are the men who manage affairs, and it is affairs that produce the men. I have never searched, and I have always found under my hand the men who have served me, and for the most part I have been well served.

bad news travels faster than good.

Experience shows that the frequent use of severe punishment has never rendered a people better. The death of a criminal is a less effective means of restraining crimes than the permanent example of a man deprived of his liberty during the whole of his life to make amends for the injury he has done to the public.

God, grant us our desires, and grant them quickly.

I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.

I cannot live one day without love.

I do not love strife, because I have always found that in the end each remains of the same opinion.

If I may venture to be frank I would say about myself that I was every inch a gentleman.

If Russians knew how to read, they would write me off.

I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper.

I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.

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.

In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.

I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that's his.

I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed.

it is better to inspire a reform than to enforce it.

Men make love more intensely at 20, but make love better, however, at 30.

One does not always do the best there is. One does the best one can.

[On Peter III:] He did not have a bad heart; but a weak man usually has not.

Power without a nation's confidence is nothing.

Praise is the only gift for which people are really grateful. Marguerite, Countess of Blessington I praise loudly; I blame softly.

self-interest usually brings injustice with it.

Tell a thousand people to draft a letter, let them debate every phrase, and see how long it takes and what you get.

The laws ought to be so framed as to secure the safety of every citizen as much as possible. ... Political liberty does not consist in the notion that a man may do whatever he pleases; liberty is the right to do whatsoever the laws allow. ... The equality of the citizens consists in that they should all be subject to the same laws.

The more a man knows, the more he forgives.

The most sure, but at the same time the most difficult expedient to mend the morals of the people, is a perfect system of education.

the title of Queen rang sweet to my ears, child though I was. ... This idea of a crown began running in my head then like a tune, and has been running a lot in it ever since.

The trouble is that my heart is loath to be without love even for a single hour. ... If you want to keep me forever, then show as much friendship as love, and more than anything else, love me and tell me the truth.

The use of torture is contrary to sound judgment and common sense. Humanity itself cries out against it, and demands it to be utterly abolished.

to tempt and be tempted are closely allied; and in spite of all the finest moral maxims buried in the mind, when emotion interferes, when feeling makes its appearance, one is already much further involved that one realizes, and I have still not learnt how to prevent its appearance.

To tempt, and to be tempted, are things very nearly allied, and, in spite of the finest maxims of morality impressed upon the mind, 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, and I have yet to learn how it is possible to prevent its being excited.

What right can give anyone authority to inflict torture upon a citizen when it is still unknown whether he is innocent or guilty?

you must be gay; only thus can life be endured. I speak from experience for I have had to endure much, and have only been able to endure it because I have always laughed whenever I had the chance.

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.

Your wit makes others witty.

Your wits make others witty.

You should know our mania for building is stronger than ever. It is a diabolical thing. It consumes money and the more you build, the more you want to build. It's a sickness like being addicted to alcohol.

You were in a mood to quarrel. Please inform me once the inclination passes.

One cannot always know what children are thinking. Children are hard to understand, especially when careful training has accustomed them to obedience, and experience has made them cautious in their conversation with their teachers. Will you not draw from this the fine maxim that one should not scold children too much, but should make them trustful, so that they will not conceal their stupidities from us?

One cannot always know what children are thinking. Children are hard to understand, especially when careful training has a custom them to obedience and experience has made them cautious in conversation with their teachers.

Very early it was noticed that I had a good memory; therefore I was insistently tormented with learning everything by heart.