Pain and disease awaken us to convictions which are necessary to our moral condition.

The great source of pleasure is variety.

Terrestrial happiness is of short duration. The brightness of the flame is wasting its fuel; the fragrant flower is passing away in its own odors.

It is not uncommon to charge the difference between promise and performance, between profession and reality, upon deep design and studied deceit; but the truth is, that there is very little hypocrisy in the world.

Bravery has no place where it can avail nothing.

Exercise cannot secure us from that dissolution to which we are decreed; but while the soul and body continue united, it can make the association pleasing, and give probable hopes that they shall be disciplined by an easy separation...to die is the fate of man; but to die with lingering anguish is generally his folly.

Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.