Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way through the world.

Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial.

People will, in a great degree, and not without reason, form their opinion of you upon that which they have of your friends; and there is a Spanish proverb which says vry justly, 'Tell me whom you live with, and I will tell you who you are.'

A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.

Cardinal Mazarin was a great knave, but no great man; much more cunning than able; scandalously false and dirtily greedy.

A man of the best parts and greatest learning, if he does not know the world by his own experience and observation, will be very absurd, and consequently very unwelcome in company. He may say very good things; but they will be probably so ill-timed, misplaced, or improperly addressed, that he had much better hold his tongue.

Polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.