His death eclipsed the gayety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.

I doubt if there ever was a man who was not gratified by being told that he was liked by the women.

Among other pleasing errors of young minds is the opinion of their own importance. He that has not yet remarked, how little attention his contemporaries can spare from themselves, conceives all eyes turned upon himself, and imagines everyone that approaches him to be an enemy or a follower, an admirer or a spy.

All is not gold that glitters, as we have often been told; and the adage is verified in your place and my favour; but if what happens does not make us richer, we must bid it welcome, if it makes us wiser.

You may translate books of science exactly. ... The beauties of poetry cannot be preserved in any language except that in which it was originally written.

If useless thoughts could be expelled from the mind, all the valuable parts of our knowledge would more frequently recur.

Advice, as it always gives a temporary appearance of superiority, can never be very grateful, even when it is most necessary or most judicious. But for the same reason everyone is eager to instruct his neighbours. To be wise or to be virtuous is to buy dignity and importance at a high price; but when nothing is necessary to elevation but detection of the follies or faults of others, no man is so insensible to the voice of fame as to linger on the ground.