Men have solicitude about fame; and the greater share they have of it, the more afraid they are of losing it.

No place affords a more striking conviction of the vanity of human hopes than a public library.

Of those that spin out trifles and die without a memorial, many flatter themselves with high opinions of their own importance, and imagine that they are every day adding some improvement to human life.

Prudence is an attitude that keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy.

There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.

When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.

An Englishman is content to say nothing when he has nothing to say.