Genius may anticipate the season of maturity; but in the education of a people, as in that of an individual, memory must be exercised, before the powers of reason and fancy can be expanded: nor may the artist hope to equal or surpass, till he has learned to imitate, the works of his predecessors.

[The] vain and transitory scenes of human greatness are unworthy of a serious thought.

[All] the manly virtues were oppressed by the servile and pusillanimous reign of the monks.

Yet the experience of four thousand years should enlarge our hopes, and diminish our apprehensions: we cannot determine to what height the human species may aspire in their advances towards perfection; but it may safely be presumed, that no people, unless the face of nature is changed, will relapse into their original barbarism.

Of the various forms of government which have prevailed in the world, an hereditary monarchy seems to present the fairest scope for ridicule.

The courage of a soldier is found to be the cheapest and most common quality of human nature.

History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.