The company of fools may first make us smile, but in the end we always feel melancholy.

There are some faults so nearly allied to excellence that we can scarce weed out the vice without eradicating the virtue.

There is nothing magnanimous in bearing misfortunes with fortitude, when the whole world is looking on.... He who, without friends to encourage or even without hope to alleviate his misfortunes, can behave with tranquility and indifference, is truly great.

He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleas'd he could whistle them back.

Be not affronted at a joke. If one throw salt at thee, thou wilt receive no harm, unless thou art raw.

For the first time, the best may err, art may persuade, and novelty spread out its charms. The first fault is the child of simplicity; but every other the offspring of guilt.

The way to acquire lasting esteem is not by the fewness of a writer's faults, but the greatness of his beauties, and our noblest works are generally most replete with both.