The world is an excellent judge in general, but a very bad one in particular.

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.

Removing prejudices is, alas! too often removing the boundary of a delightful near prospect in order to let in a shockingly extensive one.

True joy is only hope put out of fear.

Despair gives the shocking ease to the mind that a mortification gives to the body.

The world is an excellent judge in general, but a very bad one in particular.

We laugh heartily to see a whole flock of sheep jump because one did so. Might not one imagine that superior beings do the same, and for exactly the same reason?