The way to ensure summer in England is to have it framed and glazed in a comfortable room.

Who has begun has half done. Have the courage to be wise. Begin!

René of Anjou [(1409-80)] painted a picture of his mistress's corpse as he found it eaten by worms on having it [her tomb] openedon his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This [is] another instance of the strange mixture of religion and gallantry in those ages.

We often repent of our first thoughts, and scarce ever of our second.

I shun authors, and would never have been one myself, if it obliged me to keep such bad company.

[French] authors are more afraid of offending delicacy and rules, than ambitious of sublimity.

It is difficult to divest one's self of vanity; because impossible to divest one's self of self-love.