Catherine The Great Quotes & Sayings

If Russians knew how to read they would write me off. — Catherine The Great

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

Your wits make others witty. — Catherine The Great

Self-interest usually brings injustice with it. — Catherine The Great

God, grant us our desires, and grant them quickly. — Catherine The Great

A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache. — Catherine The Great

In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions. — Catherine The Great

A great wind is blowing and that either gives you imagination ... or a headache. — Catherine The Great

I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster. — Catherine The Great

The more a man knows, the more he forgives. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

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

Nothing is more difficult, in my opinion, than to avoid something that fundamentally attracts you. — Catherine The Great

All this is only for the mice and myself to admire! — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

Madame, 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. — Catherine The Great

Don't worry about things you cannot alter — Catherine The Great

All punishments by which the human body might be maimed are barbarbarism. — Catherine The Great

I will live to make myself not feared. — Catherine The Great

One does not always do the best there is. One does the best one can. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

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

Power without a nation's confidence is nothing. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

Happiness and unhappiness are in the heart and spirit of each one of us: If you feel unhappy, then place yourself above that and act so that your happiness does not get to be dependent on anything. — Catherine The Great

Men make love more intensely at 20, but make love better, however, at 30. — Catherine The Great

I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed. — Catherine The Great

I praise loudly. I blame softly. — Catherine The Great

You were in a mood to quarrel. Please inform me once the inclination passes. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

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? — Catherine The Great

In my position you have to read when you want to write and to talk when you would like to read. — Catherine The Great

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. — Catherine The Great

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

Your wit makes others witty. — Catherine The Great

I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly. — Catherine The Great

I am one of the people who love the why of things. — Catherine The Great

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

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

I have no way to defend my borders but to extend them. — Catherine The Great