Friendships, in general, are suddenly contracted; and therefore it is no wonder they are easily dissolved.

As Vivacity is the Gift of Women, Gravity is that of Men.

Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness.

We are always doing something for posterity, but I would fain see posterity do something for us.

It is impossible for authors to discover beauties in one another's works; they have eyes only for spots and blemishes.

In private conversation between intimate friends, the wisest men very often talk like the weakest : for indeed the talking with a friend is nothing else but thinking aloud.

The important question is not, what will yield to man a few scattered pleasures, but what will render his life happy on the whole amount.