The smallest annoyances, disturb us the most.

My library is my kingdom, and here I try to make my rule absolute-shutting off this single nook from wife, daughter and society. Elsewhere I have only a verbal authority, and vague. Unhappy is the man, in my opinion, who has no spot at home where he can be at home to himself-to court himself and hide away.

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

I do myself a greater injury in lying than I do him of whom I tell a lie.

The relish of good and evil depends in a great measure upon the opinion we have of them.

I determine nothing; I do not comprehend things; I suspend judgment; I examine.

Traveling through the world produces a marvelous clarity in the judgment of men. We are all of us confined and enclosed within ourselves, and see no farther than the end of our nose. This great world is a mirror where we must see ourselves in order to know ourselves. There are so many different tempers, so many different points of view, judgments, opinions, laws and customs to teach us to judge wisely on our own, and to teach our judgment to recognize its imperfection and natural weakness.