Shy and proud men are more liable than any others to fall into the hands of parasites and creatures of low character. For in the intimacies which are formed by shy men, they do not choose, but are chosen.

The philosophy which affects to teach us a contempt of money does not run very deep; for, indeed, it ought to be still more clear to the philosopher than it is to ordinary men, that there are few things in the world of greater importance.

The art of living easily as to money is to pitch your scale of living one degree below your means.

Fear, indeed, is the mother of foresight.

No siren did ever so charm the ear of the listener as the listening ear has charmed the soul of the siren.

A secret may be sometimes best kept by keeping the secret of its being a secret. It is not many years since a State secret of the greatest importance was printed without being divulged, merely by sending it to the press like any other matter, and trusting to the mechanical habits of the persons employed. They printed it piecemeal in ignorance of what it was about.

I have not skillFrom such a sharp and waspish word as "No"To pluck the sting.