The disturbers of our happiness, in this world, are our desires, our griefs, and our fears.

Words too familiar, or too remote, defeat the purpose of a poet. From those sounds which we hear on small or on coarse occasions, we do not easily receive strong impressions, or delightful images; and words to which we are nearly strangers, whenever they occur, draw that attention on themselves which they should transmit to other things.

No one ever became great by imitation.

General irregularities are known in time to remedy themselves. By the constitution of ancient Egypt, the priesthood was continually increasing, till at length there was no people beside themselves; the establishment was then dissolved, and the number of priests was reduced and limited. Thus among us, writers will, perhaps, be multiplied, till no readers will be found, and then the ambition of writing must necessarily cease.

Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.

Everything that enlarges the sphere of human powers, that shows man he can do what he thought he could not do, is valuable.

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