Vice incapacitates a man from all public duty; it withers the powers of his under- standing, and makes his mind paralytic.

The method of teaching which approaches most nearly to the method of investigation is incomparably the best.

When any work seems to have required immense force and labor to effect it, the idea is grand.

The moment you abate anything from the full rights of men to each govern himself, and suffer any artificial positive limitation upon those rights, from that moment the whole organization of government becomes a consideration of convenience.

Prudence is a quality incompatible with vice, and can never be effectively enlisted in its cause.

All virtue which is impracticable is spurious.

Our manners, our civilization, and all the good things connected with manners and civilization, have, in this European world of ours, depended for ages upon two principles: I mean the spirit of a gentleman, and the spirit of religion.