The blessings of fortune are the lowest; the next are the bodily advantages of strength and health; but the superlative blessings, in fine, are those of the mind.

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

Passions, as fire and water, are good servants, but bad masters, and subminister to the best and worst purposes.

Intemperate wits will spare neither friend nor foe, and make themselves the common enemies of mankind.

It is a way of calling a man a fool when no attention is given to what he says.

Nothing is so fierce but love will soften; nothing so sharp-sighted in other matters but it will throw a mist before its eyes.

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.