No single character is ever so great that a nation can afford to form itself upon it. Imitation belittles. This appears in the instance of the Chinese. The Chinese are so many Confucii; in miniature. And so with the Jews. Moses, the lawgiver, is poorly represented by Moses, the old clothesman ; or even by Dives, the hanker.

Good men have the fewest fears. He has but one great fear who fears to do wrong; he has a thousand who has overcome it.

Care, admitted as guest, quickly turns to be master.

As threshing separates the wheat from the chaff, so does affliction purify virtue.

The greatest happiness comes from the greatest activity.

Marriage, by making us more contented, causes us often to be less enterprising.

Example has far more followers than reason.