The survivorship of a worthy man in his son is a pleasure scarce inferior to the hopes of the continuance of his own life.

A lie is troublesome, and sets a man's invention upon the rack, and one trick needs a great many more to make it good.

It is an impertinent and unreasonable fault in conversation for one man to take up all the discourse.

Such is the weakness of our nature, that when men are a little exalted in their condition they immediately conceive they have additional senses, and their capacities enlarged not only above other men, but above human comprehension itself.

Among all the diseases of the mind there is not one more epidemical or more pernicious than the love of flattery.

Since our persons are not of our own making, when they are such as appear defective or uncomely, it is, methinks, an honest and laudable fortitude to dare to be ugly.

I know of no manner of speaking so offensive as that of giving praise, and closing it with an exception.