My self-love is, in every respect, more susceptible than ambitious, and I have always found that men appear to the imagination phantoms when they blame, and pigmies when they praise you.
1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[Book XII. The history of Lord Nelville.] Chap[ter] I.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], page 136