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.

Whatever natural right men may have to freedom and independency, it is manifest that some men have a natural ascendency over others.

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.

Those men who are commended by everybody must be very extraordinary men; or, which is more probable, very inconsiderable men.

Avarice starves its possessor to fatten those who come after, and who are eagerly awaiting the demise of the accumulator.

Good-humor is allied to generosity, ill-humor to meanness.

It is not enough that you can form nay, and follow, the most excellent rules for conducting yourself in the world. You must also know when to deviate from them, and where lies the exception.