Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.

Those graces which from their presumed facility encourage all to attempt an imitation of them, are usually the most inimitable.

In all countries where nature does the most, man does the least.

Most of our misfortunes are more supportable than the comments of our friends upon them.

We must be careful how we flatter fools too little, or wise men too much, for the flatterer must act the very reverse of the physician, and administer the strongest dose only to the weakest patient.

There are three kinds of power,--wealth, strength, and talent; but as old age always weakens, often destroys, the two latter, the aged are induced to cling with the greater avidity to the former.

In politics, as in religion, it so happens, that we have less charity for those who believe the half of our creed, than for those that deny the whole of it; since if Servetus had been a Mohammedan, he would not have been burnt by Calvin.