Nothing flatters a man as much as the happiness of his wife; he is always proud of himself as the source of it.

It is not from reason and prudence that people marry, but from inclination.

..to write and to live are very different. Many who praise virtue, do no more than praise it.

Wit will never make a man rich, but there are places where riches will always make a wit.

Persius has justly observed, that knowledge is nothing to him who is not known by others to possess it: to the scholar himself it is nothing with respect either to honour or advantage, for the world cannot reward those qualities which are concealed from it; with respect to others it is nothing, because it affords no help to ignorance or errour.

Unconstraint is the grace of conversation.

The task of an author is, either to teach what is not known, or to recommend known truths by his manner of adorning them; either to let new light in upon the mind, and open new scenes to the prospect, or to vary the dress and situation of common objects, so as to give them fresh grace and more powerful attractions, to spread such flowers over the regions through which the intellect has already made its progress, as may tempt it to return, and take a second view of things hastily passed over, or negligently regarded.