Good-humor will sometimes conquer ill-humor, but ill-humor will conquer it oftener; and for this plain reason, good-humor must operate on generosity, ill-humor on meanness.

Discernment is a power of the understanding in which few excel. Is not that owing to its connection with impartiality and truth? for are not prejudice and partiality blind?

Man is the only creature endowed with the power of laughter.

The brains of a pedant however full, are vacant.

We should do by our cunning as we do by our courage--always have it ready to defend ourselves, never to offend others.

True joy is only hope put out of fear.

What an argument in favor of social connections is the observation that by communicating our grief we have less, and by communicating our pleasure we have more.