Oh, what a valiant faculty is hope, that in a mortal subject, and in a moment, makes nothing of usurping infinity, immensity, eternity, and of supplying its masters indigence, at its pleasure, with all things he can imagine or desire!

It is easier to write an indifferent poem than to understand a good one.

When I quote others I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly.

In true friendship, in which I am expert, I give myself to my friend more than I draw him to me. I not only like doing him good better than having him do me good, but also would rather have him do good to himself than to me; he does me most good when he does himself good.

Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.

God defend me from being an honest man according to the description which every day I see made by each man to his own glorification

We are more unhappy to see people ahead of us than happy to see people behind us.