He was always smoothing and polishing himself, and in the end he became blunt before he was sharp.

Man is to be found in reason, God in the passions.

The writer who cannot sometimes throw away a thought about which another man would have written dissertations, without worry whether or not the reader will find it, will never become a great writer.

It is a sure evidence of a good book if it pleases us more and more as we grow older.

A writer who wishes to be read by posterity must not be averse to putting hints which might give rise to whole books, or ideas for learned discussions, in some corner of a chapter so that one should think he can afford to throw them away by the thousand.

How did mankind ever come by the idea of liberty? What a grand thought it was!

I am convinced we do not only love ourselves in others but hate ourselves in others too.