Pedantry is properly the over-rating of any kind of knowledge we pretend to.

It is as hard to satirize well a man of distinguished vices, as to praise well a man of distinguished virtues.

Lord, Madame, I have fed like a farmer; I shall grow as fat as a porpoise.

When a real genius appeares in this world, you'll know him by the fact that all the fools have allied against him.

If it were a rainy day, a drunken vigil, a fit of the spleen, a course of physic, sleepy Sunday, an ill run at dice, a long tailor's bill, a beggar's purse, a factious head, a hot sun, costive diet, want of books, and a just contempt for learning - but for these. . .the number of authors and of writing would dwindle away to a degree most woeful to behold.

The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.

Politics, as the word is commonly understood, are nothing but corruptions.