Men are apt to mistake, or at least to seem to mistake, their own talents, in hopes, perhaps, of misleading others to allow them that which they are conscious they do not possess. Thus lord Hardwicke valued himself more upon being a great minister of state, which he certainly was not, than upon being a great magistrate, which he certainly was.

The nation looked upon him as a deserter, and he shrunk into insignificancy and an earldom.

Business by no means forbids pleasures; on the contrary, they reciprocally season each other; and I will venture to affirm, that no man enjoys either in perfection that does not join both.

The scholar without good breeding is a pedant; the philosopher, a cynic.

It may be objected, that I am now recommending dissimulation to you; I both own and justify it. It has been long said: Qui nescitdissimular nescit regnare: I go still farther, and say, that without some dissimulation, no business can be carried on at all.

People will no more advance their civility to a bear, than their money to a bankrupt.

True politeness is perfect ease and freedom. It simply consists in treating others just as you love to be treated yourself.