Many of our miseries are merely comparative: we are often made unhappy, not by the presence of any real evil, but by the absence of some fictitious good; of something which is not required by any real want of nature, which has not in itself any power of gratification, and which neither reason nor fancy would have prompted us to wish, did we not see it in the possession of others.

Remember that nothing will supply the want of prudence, and that negligence and irregularity long continued will make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible.

Evil is uncertain in the same degree as good, and for the reason that we ought not to hope too securely, we ought not to fear with to much dejection.

Books like friends, should be few and well-chosen.

Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused

Poverty has, in large cities, very different appearances; it is often concealed in splendour, and often in extravagance.

At seventy-seven it is time to be in earnest.