A misery is not to be measure from the nature of the evil but from the temper of the sufferer.

It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. [as they realise their problems could be worse!]

Honor's a fine imaginary notion, that draws in raw and unexperienced men to real mischiefs.

It is certain that there is no other passion which does produce such contrary effects in so great a degree. But this may be said for love, that if you strike it out of the soul, life would be insipid, and our being but half animated.

There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply its place. For this reason mankind have been forced to invent a kind of artificial humanity, which is what we express by the word Good-Breeding.

Among those evils which befall us, there are many which have been more painful to us in the prospect than by their actual pressure.

The hours of a wise man are lengthened by his ideas.