But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh! sweet friends, hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuits and salted pork cut up into little flakes! the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt... we dispatched it with great expedition.

Only the man who says no is free

There are two places in the world where men can most effectively disappear - the city of London and the South Seas.

Faith and philosophy are air, but events are brass.

It is not for man to follow the trail of truth too far, since by so doing he entirely loses the directing compass of his mind.

There seems no reason why patriotism and narrowness should go together, or why intellectual impartiality should be confounded with political trimming, or why serviceable truth should keep cloistered be a cause not partisan.

In armies, navies, cities, or families, in nature herself, nothing more relaxes good order than misery.