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

Every instance of a man's suffering the penalty of the law is an instance of the failure of that penalty in effecting its purpose, which is to deter.

As an exercise of the reasoning faculties, pure mathematics is an admirable exercise, because it consists of reasoning alone and does not encumber the student with any exercise of judgment.

Of metaphors, those generally conduce most to energy or vivacity of style which illustrate an intellectual by a sensible object.

As the flower is before the fruit, so is faith before good works.

Some persons resemble certain trees, such as the nut, which flowers in February and ripens its fruit in September; or the juniper and the arbutus; which take a whole year or more to perfect their fruit; and others, the cherry, which takes between two an three months.

To teach one who has no curiosity to learn, is to sow a field without ploughing it.