He who would govern his actions by the laws of virtue must regulate his thoughts by those of reason.

That is the happiest conversation where there is no competition, no vanity, but a calm, quiet interchange of sentiments...

It is advantageous to an author that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends.

A student may easily exhaust his life in comparing divines and moralists without any practical regard to morals and religion; he may be learning not to live but to reason... while the chief use of his volumes is unthought of, his mind is unaffected, and his life is unreformed.

We must consider how very little history there is--I mean real, authentic history. That certain kings reigned and certain battles were fought, we can depend upon as true; but all the coloring, all the philosophy, of history is conjecture.

There is in this world no real delight (excepting those of sensuality), but exchange of ideas in conversation.

In traveling, a man must carry knowledge with him, if he would bring home knowledge.