Some good qualities are like the senses: Those who are entirely deprived of them can have no notion of them.

Love, all agreeable as it is, charms more by the fashion in which it displays itself, than by its own true merit.

Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.

Constancy in love is of two sorts: One is the effect of new excellencies that are always presenting themselves afresh, and attractour affections continually; the other is only from a point of honor, and a taking of pride not to change.

On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition - which despises small interests to gain great ones.

Flattery is a kind of bad money, to which our vanity gives us currency.

Moderation is like sobriety: you would like to have some more, but are afraid of making yourself ill.