Butler compared the tongues of these eternal talkers to race-horses, which go the faster the less weight they carry.

Ambition is to the mind what the cap is to the falcon; it blinds us first, and then compels us to tower by reason of our blindness.

The three great apostles of practical atheism, that make converts without persecuting, and retain them without preaching, are wealth, health and power.

There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter.

He that openly tells, his friends all that he thinks of them, must expect that they will secretly tell his enemies much that they do not think of him.

It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or to those who, like Paley, purify it, stamp it, fix its real value, and give it currency and utility

Short as life is, some find it long enough to outlive their characters, their constitutions and their estates.