No reliance can be placed on the friendship of kings, nor vain hope put in the melodious voice of boys; for that passes away like a vision, and this vanishes like a dream.

Capacity without education is deplorable, and education without capacity is thrown away.

When a mean wretch cannot vie with another in virtue, out of his wickedness he begins to slander. The abject envious wretch will slander the virtuous man when absent, but when brought face to face his loquacious tongue becomes dumb.

Poverty snatches the reins out of the hand of piety.

The best loved by God are those that are rich, yet have the humility of the poor, and those that are poor and have the magnanimity of the rich.

Two orders of mankind are the enemies of church and state; the king without clemency, and the holy man without learning.

Nothing is so good for an ignorant man as silence; and if he was sensible of this he would not be ignorant.