He who is enamored of himself will at least have the advantage of being inconvenienced by few rivals.

If nature be regarded as the teacher and we poor human beings as her pupils, the human race presents a very curious picture. We all sit together at a lecture and possess the necessary principles for understanding it, yet we always pay more attention to the chatter of our fellow students than to the lecturer's discourse. Or, if our neighbor copies something down, we sneak it from him, stealing what he himself may have heard imperfectly, and add it to our own errors of spelling and opinion.

Reason now gazes above the realm of the dark but warm feelings as the Alpine peaks do above the clouds. They behold the sun more clearly and distinctly, but they are cold and unfruitful.

Many a man who is willing to be shot for his belief in a miracle would have doubted, had he been present at the miracle itself.

The celebrated painter Gainsborough got as much pleasure from seeing violins as from hearing them.

Honest unaffected distrust of human abilities under all circumstances is the surest sign of strength of mind.

Erudition can produce foliage without bearing fruit.