Quotes from Catherine the Great

I cannot live one day without love.

Power without [the people's] confidence is nothing.

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.

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

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.

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

The more a man knows, the more he forgives.

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.

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.

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.

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

Your wit makes others witty.

I am one of the people who love the why of things.

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.

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

First health, then wealth, then pleasure, and do not owe anything to anybody.

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

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

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.

All this is only for the mice and myself to admire!

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

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