A person may be qualified to do greater good to mankind and become more beneficial to the world, by morality without faith than by faith without morality.

Content has a kindly influence on the soul of man, in respect of every being to whom he stands related. It extinguishes all murmuring, repining, and ingratitude toward that Being who has allotted us our part to act in the world. It destroys all inordinate ambition; gives sweetness to the conversation, and serenity to all the thoughts; and if it does not bring riches, it does the same thing by banishing the desire of them.

With regard to donations always expect the most from prudent people, who keep their own accounts.

When men are easy in their circumstances, they are naturally enemies to innovations.

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition, but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.

The care of our national commerce redounds more to the riches and prosperity of the public than any other act of government.

There is no defence against reproach, but obscurity; it is a kind of concomitant to greatness, as satires and invectives were an essential part of a Roman triumph.