It is useless to check the vain dunce who has caught the mania of scribbling, whether prose or poetry, canzonets or criticisms,--let such a one go on till the disease exhausts itself. Opposition like water, thrown on burning oil, but increases the evil, because a person of weak judgment will seldom listen to reason, but become obstinate under reproof.

This is a speculating and selfish age; and to think 'money will answer all things,' is too much the characteristic of Americans.

Oh, wondrous power! how little understood, Entrusted to the mother's mind alone, To fashion genius, form the soul for good, Inspire a West, or train a Washington.

... rights are liable to be perverted to wrongs when we are incapable of rightly exercising them.

Happiness is, in truth, a very cheap thing, when the heart will be contented to traffic with nature - art has quite a different price.

self-control, in every station and to every individual, is indispensable, if people would retain that equanimity of mind, which, depending on self-respect, is the essential of contentment and happiness.

Americans have two ardent passions; the love of liberty, and love of distinction.