It takes strong ears indeed to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship. For it is a healthy love that will risk wounding or offending in order to profer a benefit.

Habituation puts to sleep the eye of our judgment.

If to take up books were to take them in, and if to see them were to consider them, and to run through them were to grasp them, I should be wrong to make myself out quite as ignorant as I say I am.

We need to interpret interpretations more than to interpret things.

There is a sort of gratification in doing good which makes us rejoice in ourselves.

Now there cannot be first principles for men, unless the Divinity has revealed them; all the rest--beginning, middle, and end--isnothing but dreams and smoke.

The most regular and most perfect soul in the world has but too much to do to keep itself upright from being overthrown by its own weakness.