Figure-flingers and star-gazers pretend to foretell the fortunes of kingdoms, and have no foresight in what concerns themselves.

Tis not necessity, but opinion, that makes men miserable; and when we come to be fancy-sick, there's no cure.

Imperfections would not be half so much taken notice of, if vanity did not make proclamation of them.

Some people are all quality; you would think they are made up of nothing but title and genealogy. The stamp of dignity defaces in them the very character of humanity and transports them to such a degree of haughtiness that they reckon it below themselves to exercise either good nature or good manners.

If we should cease to be generous and charitable because another is sordid and ungrateful, it would be much in the power of vice to extinguish Christian virtues.

So long as we stand in need of a benefit, there is nothing dearer to us; nor anything cheaper when we have received it.

He that contemns a shrew to the degree of not descending to words with her does worse than beat her.