To this principle of vanity, which philosophers call a mean one, and which I do not, I owe a great part of the figure which I have made in life.

A man of sense may be in haste, but can never be in a hurry.

If you love music hear it; go to operas, concerts, and pay fiddlers to play to you; but I insist upon your neither piping nor fiddling yourself. It puts a gentleman in a very frivolous, contemptible light; brings him into a great deal of bad company; and takes up a great deal of time, which might be much better employed.

No man tastes pleasures truly, who does not earn them by previous business; and few people do business well, who do nothing else.

In order to judge of the inside of others, study your own; for men in general are very much alike; and though one has one prevailing passion, and another has another, yet their operations are much the same; and whatever engages or disgusts, pleases or offends you, in others, will, mutatis mutandis, engage, disgust, please, or offend others, in you.

Politicians neither love nor hate. Interest, not sentiment, directs them.

If you can once engage people's pride, love, pity, ambition (or whatever is their prevailing passion) on your side, you need not fear what their reason can do against you.