Our youth and manhood are due to our country, but our declining years are due to ourselves.

Envy always implies conscious inferiority wherever it resides.

The lust of avarice as so totally seized upon mankind that their wealth seems rather to possess them than they possess their wealth.

The ancients had little doubt about the true shape of the earth: "It's [the world's] shape has the rounded appearance of a perfect sphere. This is shown first of all by the name of 'orb' which is bestowed upon it by the general consent of mankind. ...Our eyesight also confirms this belief, because the firmament presents the aspect of a concave hemisphere equidistant in every direction, which would be impossible in the case of any other figure."

Accustom yourself to master and overcome things of difficulty; for if you observe, the left hand for want of practice is insignificant, and not adapted to general business; yet it holds the bridle better than the right, from constant use.

Cats too, with what silent stealthiness, with what light steps do they creep up to a bird!

His only fault is that he has no fault.