In church your grandsire cut his throat; to do the job too long he tarried: he should have had my hearty vote to cut his throat before he married.

Arbitrary power is the natural object of temptation to a prince, as wine and women to a young fellow, or a bribe to a judge, or avarice to old age.

I row after health like a waterman.

Men of wit, learning and virtue might strike out every offensive or unbecoming passage from plays.

Very few men, properly speaking, live at present, but are providing to live another time.

All Pretences of foretelling by Astrology, are Deceits; for this manifest Reason, because the Wise and Learned, who can only judge whether there be any Truth in this Science, do all unanimously agree to laugh at and despise it; and none but the poor ignorant Vulgar give it any Credit.

It is the folly of too many to mistake the echo of a London coffee-house for the voice of the kingdom.