Laws are often made by fools, and even more often by men who fail in equity because they hate equality: but always by men, vain authorities who can resolve nothing.

We imagine much more appropriately an artisan on his toilet seat or on his wife than a great president, venerable by his demeanorand his ability. It seems to us that they do not stoop from their lofty thrones even to live.

I know that the arms of friendship are long enough to reach from the one end of the world to the other

I seek in the reading of books, only to please myself, by an honest diversion.

Learning is a good medicine: but no medicine is powerful enough to preserve itself from taint and corruption independently of defects in the jar that it is kept in. One man sees clearly but does not see straight: consequently he sees what is good but fails to follow it; he sees knowledge and does not use it.

Taking it all in all, I find it is more trouble to watch after money than to get it.

I would rather be old for a shorter time than be old before my time.