Such seems to be the disposition of man, that whatever makes a distinction produces rivalry.

Books, says Lord Bacon, can never teach us the use of books; the student must learn by commerce with mankind to reduce his speculations to practice. No man should think so highly of himself as to think he can receive but little light from books; no one so meanly, as to believe he can discover nothing but what is to be learned from them.

The equity of Providence has balanced peculiar sufferings with peculiar enjoyments.

Sir, you have but two topics, yourself and me. I am sick of both.

Where necessity ends, desire and curiosity begin; and no sooner are we supplied with everything nature can demand than we sit down to contrive artificial appetites.

Every man is prompted by the love of himself to imagine that he possesses some qualities superior, either in kind or degree, to those which he sees allotted to the rest of the world.

Politeness is fictitious benevolence. Depend upon it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.