There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of Nature and has his senses still.

The highest law gives a thing to him who can use it.

In most books, the I, of first person, is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference.

Even the elephant carries but a small trunk on his journeys. The perfection of traveling is to travel without baggage.

The universe expects every man to do his duty in his parallel of latitude.

A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.

We are double-edged blades, and every time we whet our virtue the return stroke straps our vice. Where is the skillful swordsman who can give clean wounds, and not rip up his work with the other edge?