He that shall peruse the political pamphlets of any past reign will wonder why they were so eagerly read, or so loudly praised.

Art hath an enemy called ignorance.

Diffidence may check resolution and obstruct performance, but compensates its embarrassments by more important advantages; it conciliates the proud, and softens the severe; averts envy from excellence, and censure from miscarriage.

All industry must be excited by hope.

I have often thought that there has rarely passed a life of which a judicious and faithful narrative would not be useful; for not only every man has, in the mighty mass of the world, great numbers in the same condition with himself, to whom his mistakes and miscarriages, escapes and expedients, would be of immediate and apparent use; but there is such a uniformity in the state of man, considered apart from adventitious and separable decorations and disguises, that there is scarce any possibility of good or ill but is common to human kind.

Nobody can be taught faster than he can learn.

One of the disadvantages of wine is that it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.