The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.

The generality of men expend the early part of their lives in contributing to render the latter part miserable.

A mediocre mind thinks it writes divinely; a good mind thinks it writes reasonably.

If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?

The very essence of politeness seems to be to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.

False glory is the rock of vanity; it seduces men to affect esteem by things which they indeed possess, but which are frivolous, and which for a man to value himself on would be a scandalous error.

There is what is called the highway to posts and honor, and there is a cross and by way, which is much the shortest.