The nonchalance and dolce-far-niente air of nature and society hint at infinite periods in the progress of mankind.

Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment

I hardly know an intellectual man, even, who is so broad and truly liberal that you can think aloud in his society.

God is alone,-but the devil, he is far from being alone; he sees a great deal of company; he is legion.

I can alter my life by altering my attitude. He who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers.

A man’s ignorance sometimes is not only useful, but beautiful - while his knowledge, so called, is oftentimes worse than useless, besides being ugly. Which is the best man to deal with - he who knows nothing about a subject, and, what is extremely rare, knows that he knows nothing, or he who really knows something about it, but thinks that he knows all?

The inhabitants of Canada appeared to be suffering between two fires,--the soldiery and the priesthood.