I consider an human soul without education like marble in the quarry, which shows none of its inherent beauties till the skill of the polisher fetches out the colours, makes the surface shine, and discovers every ornamental cloud, spot and vein that runs through the body of it.

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

We see no where the pernicious effects of luxury on a republic more than in that of the ancient Romans, who immediately found itself poor as soon as this vice got footing among them, though they were possessed of all the riches in the world.

It is not the business of virtue to extirpate the affections of the mind, but to regulate them.

A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.

There is no passion that is not finely expressed in those parts of the inspired writings which are proper for divine songs and anthems.

The memory is perpetually looking back when we have nothing present to entertain us. It is like those repositories in animals that are filled with food, on which they may ruminate when their present pastures fail.