Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity.

Pointed axioms and acute replies fly loose about the world, and are assigned successively to those whom it may be the fashion to celebrate.

The seeds of knowledge may be planted in solitude, but must be cultivated in public.

John Wesley's conversation is good, but he is never at leisure. He is always obliged to go at a certain hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who loves to fold his legs and have his talk out as I do.

Most minds are the slaves of external circumstances, and conform to any hand that undertakes to mould them.

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.

The general remedy of those who are uneasy without knowing the cause is change of place.