The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth

We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.

Extreme boredom provides its own antidote.

However evil men may be they dare not be openly hostile to virtue, and so when they want to attack it they pretend to find it spurious , or impute crimes to it.

Avarice misapprehends itself almost always. There is no passion which more often will miss its aim, nor upon which the present has so much influence to the prejudice of the future.

Our wisdom is no less at fortune's mercy than our wealth.

What we cut off from our other faults is very often but so much added to our pride.