All letters, methinks, should be free and easy as one's discourse, not studied, as an oration, nor made up of hard words like a charm.

Tis an admirable thing to see how some people will labour to find out terms that may obscure a plain sense, like a gentleman I knew, who would never say 'the weather grew cold,' but that 'winter begins to salute us.' I have no patience for such coxcombs.

Will the kindness of this letter excuse the shortness of it?

What an age do we live in, when 'tis a miracle if in ten couples that are married, two of them live so as not to publish to the world that they cannot agree.

I do not know that ever I desired anything earnestly in my life but 'twas denied me, and I am many times afraid to wish a thing merely lest my fortune should take that occasion to use me ill.

I find so many things to fear and so few to hope.

But 'tis a sad thing that all one's happiness is only that the world does not know you are miserable.