All the joys of earth will not assuage our thirst for happiness; while a single grief suffices to shroud life in a sombre veil, and smite it with nothingness at all points.

As we advance in life the circle of our pains enlarges, while that of our pleasures contracts.

One must be a somebody before they can have an enemy. One must be a force before he can be resisted by another force.

The Christian's God is a God of metamorphoses. You cast grief into his bosom: you draw thence, peace. You cast in despair: 'tis hope that rises to the surface. It is a sinner whose heart he moves. It is a saint who returns him thanks.

The chains which cramp us most are those which weigh on us least.

Friendship is like those ancient altars where the unhappy, and even the guilty, found a sure asylum.

The ideal friendship is to feel as one while remaining two.