Every passion gives a particular cast to the countenance, and is apt to discover itself in some feature or other. I have seen an eye curse for half an hour together, and an eyebrow call a man a scoundrel.

Some virtues are only seen in affliction and others only in prosperity.

In the founders of great families, titles or attributes of honor are generally correspondent with the virtues of the person to whom they are applied; but in their descendants they are too often the marks rather of grandeur than of merit. The stamp and denomination still continue, but the intrinsic value is frequently lost.

The greatest parts, without discretion as observed by an elegant writer, may be fatal to their owner; as Polyphemus, deprived of his eyes, was only the more exposed on account of his enormous strength and stature.

Faith is kept alive in us, and gathers strength, more from practice than from speculations.

The fear of death often proves mortal, and sets people on methods to save their Lives, which infallibly destroy them.

Man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter.