All womankind, from the highest to the lowest love jokes; the difficulty is to know how they choose to have them cut; and there is no knowing that, but by trying, as we do with our artillery in the field, by raising or letting down their breeches, till we hit the mark.

Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other.

Whatever stress some may lay upon it, a death-bed repentance is but a weak and slender plank to trust our all on.

I am positive I have a soul; nor can all the books with which materialists have pestered the world ever convince me to the contrary.

There is such a torture, happily unknown to ancient tyranny, as talking a man to death. Marcus Aurelius advises to assent readily to great talkers--in hopes, I suppose, to put an end to the argument.

Keyholes are the occasions of more sin and wickedness, than all other holes in this world put together.

The way to fame, is like the way to heaven,--through much tribulation.