I know not any crime so great that a man could contrive to commit as poisoning the sources of eternal truth.

There is no crime more infamous than the violation of truth. It is apparent that men can be social beings no longer than they believe each other. When speech is employed only as the vehicle of falsehood, every man must disunite himself from others, inhabit his own cave and seek prey only for himself.

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

Trust as little as you can to report, and examine all you can by your own senses.

Depend upon it that if a man talks of his misfortunes there is something in them that is not disagreeable to him; for where there is nothing but pure misery there never is any recourse to the mention of it.

What ever the motive for the insult, it is always best to overlook it; for folly doesn't deserve resentment, and malice is punished by neglect.

A man who always talks for fame never can be pleasing. The man who talks to unburthen his mind is the man to delight you.