The Quotes of Marquis de Lafayette

Born: 9/6/1757 12:00:00 AM Died: 5/20/1834 12:00:00 AM

True republicanism is the sovereignty of the people. There are natural and imprescriptible rights which an entire nation has no right to violate.

When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensable of duties.

Do not calculate what I have done, for I shall accept no recompense. Calculate the public advantage, the welfare and liberty of my country, and believe that I shall refuse no burden, no danger, provided that, at the hour of tranquillity, I may return to private life, for there now remains but one step for my ambition - that of arriving at zero.

I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I think, and out of all that I try to form an idea into which I put as much common sense as I can.

Nature has made men free and equal. The distinctions necessary for social order are only founded on general utility.

Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country. 

Freemasonry, as a tradition, is built on the spoken word. It is a mystic tradition that has been passed down from lip to hear across the centuries. It acknowledges the power of language to transform the mind of the individual and even the course of history itself. Throughout history, great changes in civilizations and the rise and fall of empires have depended on a few words, spoken into the right ear at the right time. Freemasonry places great importance on remembering the thoughts of our ancestors. It is from these thoughts that we can learn how to navigate the maze of life and avoid the pitfalls that have entrapped the unfortunate. The Masons below have all contributed to the wisdom of the world and we have selected a small portion of their knowledge to be shared here to inspire, uplift and educate.