The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it.

Give nobly to indigent merit, and do not refuse your charity even to those who have not merit but their misery.

Wrongs are often forgiven; but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever.

Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way in the world, without them it is like a great rough diamond, very well in a closet by way of curiosity, and also for its intrinsic value; but most prized when polished.

Buy good books, and read them; the best books are the commonest, and the last editions are always the best, if the editors are not blockheads.

The talent of insinuation is more useful than that of persuasion, as everybody is open to insinuation, but scarce any to persuasion.

There is hardly anybody good for everything, and there is scarcely anybody who is absolutely good for nothing.