All severity that does not tend to increase good, or prevent evil, is idle.

So willing is every man to flatter himself, that the difference between approving laws, and obeying them, is frequently forgotten; he that acknowledges the obligations of morality and pleases his vanity with enforcing them to others, concludes himself zealous in the cause of virtue.

The safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment. It is commonly observed, that among soldiers and seamen, though there is much kindness, there is little grief; they see their friend fall without any of that lamentation which is indulged in security and idleness, because they have no leisure to spare from the care of themselves; and whoever shall keep his thoughts equally busy will find himself equally unaffected with irretrievable losses.

An age that melts in unperceiv'd decay, And glides in modest innocence away.

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

To excite opposition and inflame malevolence is the unhappy privilege of courage made arrogant by consciousness of strength.

We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.