Religion is a mere question of geography.

The knowledge that is suited to our situation and powers, the whole compass of moral, natural, and mathematical science, was neglected by the new Platonists; whilst they exhausted their strength in the verbal disputes of metaphysics, attempted to explore the secrets of the invisible world, and studied to reconcile Aristotle with Plato, on subjects of which both these philosophers were as ignorant as the rest of mankind.

The historian must have some conception of how men who are not historians behave.

The laws of a nation form the most instructive portion of its history

If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery [gunpowder] with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the arts of peace, a philosopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind.

The history of empires is the record of human misery; the history of the sciences is that of the greatness and happiness of mankind.

But the power of instruction is seldom of much efficacy, except in those happy dispositions where it is almost superfluous.