Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one's own goodness.

To how many blockheads of my time has a cold and taciturn demeanor procured the credit of prudence and capacity!

Whenever a new finding is reported to the world people say - It is probably not true. Later on, when the reliability of a new finding has been fully confirmed, people say - OK, it may be true but it has no real significance. At last, when even the significance of the finding is obvious to everybody, people say - Well, it might have some significance, but the idea is not new.

Custom is a violent and treacherous school mistress. She, by little and lithe, slyly and unperceived, slips in the foot of her authority; but having by this gentle and humble beginning, with the benefit of time, fixed and established it, she then unmasks a furious and tyrannic countenance, against which we have no more the courage or the power so much as to lift up our eyes.

There is no man so good, who, were he to submit all his thoughts and actions to the laws, would not deserve hanging ten times in his life.

Hath God obliged himself not to exceed the bounds of our knowledge?

When a Roman was returning from a trip, he used to send someone ahead to let his wife know, so as not to surprise her in the act.