Tastes in young people are changed by natural impetuosity, and in the aged are preserved by habit.

It is sometimes a point of as much cleverness to know to make good use of advice from others as to be able give good advice to oneself.

Moral severity in women is only a dress or paint which they use to set off their beauty.

We often credit ourselves with vices the reverse of what we have, thus when weak we boast of our obstinacy.

Minds of moderate caliber ordinarily condemn everthing which is beyond their range.

Pride has a greater share than goodness in the reproofs we give other people for their faults; and we chide them not so much to make them mend those faults as to make them believe that we ourselves are without fault.

We often see malefactors, when they are led to execution, put on resolution and a contempt of death which, in truth, is nothing else but fearing to look it in the face--so that this pretended bravery may very truly be said to do the same good office to their mind that the blindfold does to their eyes.