Absence weakens ordinary passions, but inflames great ones, as the wind extinguishes a candle, but fans a fire.

[L’absence diminue les médiocres passions, et augmente les grandes, comme le vent éteint les bougies et allume le feu.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶276 (1665-1678) [tr. Stevens (1939)]
    (Source)

Present in the 1st (1665) edition. The manuscript reads:

L’absence fait que les médiocres passions diminuent, et que les grandes croissent, comme le vent éteint les bougies et allume le feu.

See Bussy-Rabutin (1660), and a related theme from Propertius (c. 20 BC).

(Source (French)). Other translations:

Absence cools Moderate Passions, and Enflames Violent ones; Just as the Wind blows out Candles, but Kindles Fires.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶277; (1706), ¶276]

Absence destroys small passions, and increases great ones; as the wind extinguishes tapers, and kindles fires.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶334; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶257]

Absence destroys small passions, and increases great ones; the wind extinguishes tapers, and kindles fires.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶295]

Absence diminishes moderate passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes tapers and adds fury to fire.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶286]

Absence extinguishes small passions and increases great ones, as the wind will blow out a candle, and blow in a fire.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶276]

The same wind snuffs candles yet kindles fires; so, where absence kills a little love, it fans a great one.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶284]

Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶276]

Absence weakens lukewarm feelings but intensifies great ones, as wind snuffs out candles but feeds fire.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶276]

Absence lessens moderate passions and intensifies great ones, as the wind blows out a candle but fans up a fire.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶276]

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and fans fire.
Bartlett's (1980), ¶276; < 1973?)]

Absence diminishes moderate passions and magnifies great ones, as the wind blows out candles but kindles fire.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶276]