I have known some men possessed of good qualities which were very serviceable to others, but useless to themselves; like a sun-dial on the front of a house, to inform the neighbours and passengers, but not the owner within.

I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall be called to it, that by your great and frequent urgency you prevailed on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect account of my travels, with directions to hire some young gentleman of either university to put them in order, and correct the style, as my cousin Dampier did, by my advice, in his book called "A Voyage round the world."

An atheist has got one point beyond the devil.

Brisk talkers are generally slow thinkers.

An English tongue, if refined to a certain standard, might perhaps be fixed forever.

Bachelor's fare: bread and cheese, and kisses.

Nothing more unqualified the man to act with prudence than a misfortune that is attended with shame and guilt.