The worst evils are those that never arrive.

No man can perform so little as not to have reason to congratulate himself on his merits, when he beholds the multitude that live in total idleness, and have never yet endeavoured to be useful.

The seeds of knowledge may be planted in solitude, but must be cultivated in public.

Human experience, which is constantly contradicting theory, is the great test of truth. A system, built upon the discoveries of a great many minds, is always of more strength, than what is produced by the mere workings of any one mind, which, of itself, can do very little. There is not so poor a book in the world that would not be a prodigious effort were it wrought out entirely by a single mind, without the aid of prior investigators.

If we require more perfection from women than from ourselves, it is doing them honor.

It is wonderful when a calculation is made, how little the mind is actually employed in the discharge of any profession.

There are occasions on which all apology is rudeness.