As one may bring himself to believe almost anything he is inclined to believe, it makes all the difference whether we begin or end with the inquiry, 'What is truth?'

Grace is in a great measure a natural gift; elegance implies cultivation; or something of more artificial character. A rustic, uneducated girl may be graceful, but an elegant woman must be accomplished and well trained. It is the same with things as with persons; we talk of a graceful tree, but of an elegant house or other building. Animals may be graceful, but they cannot be elegant. The movements of a kitten or a young fawn are full of grace; but to call them "elegant" animals would be absurd.

Neither human applause nor human censure is to be taken as the best of truth; but either should set us upon testing ourselves.

Do you want to know the man against whom you have most reason to guard yourself? Your looking-glass will give you a very fair likeness of his face.

To be always thinking about your manners is not the way to make them good; the very perfection of manners is not to think about yourself.

When a man says he wants to work, what he means is that he wants wages.

Manners are one of the greatest engines of influence ever given to man.