Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves nor take away from themselves.

We may seem great in an employment below our worth, but we very often look little in one that is too big for us.

It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.

Our minds are lazier than our bodies.

It is almost always a fault of one who loves not to realize when he ceases to be loved.

Self-interest makes some people blind, and others sharp-sighted.

Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life's ills.