To follow imperfect, uncertain, or corrupted traditions, in order to avoid erring in our own judgment, is but to exchange one danger for another.

In our judgment of human transactions, the law of optics is reversed, we see most dimly the objects which are close around us.

Nothing but the right can ever be expedient, since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a great good to a less.

It may be worth noticing as a curious circumstance, when persons past forty before they were at all acquainted form together a very close intimacy of friendship. For grafts of old wood to take, there must be a wonderful congeniality between the trees.

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?'

Honesty is the best policy; but he who is governed by that maxim is not an honest man.

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