Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.

We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge.

The hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by the contempt it evinces for those who possess it, and we refuse them our homage, not being able to detract from them what attracts that of the rest of the world.

Whilst weakness and timidity keep us to our duty, virtue has often all the honor.

The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.

What we take for high-mindedness is very often no other than ambition well disguised, that scorns means interests, only to pursuegreater.

The generality of friends puts us out of conceit with friendship; just as the generality of religious people puts us out of conceit with religion.