Only imagine a man acting for one single day on the supposition that all his neighbors believe all that they profess, and act up to all that they believe!

In Plato's opinion, man was made for philosophy; in Bacon's opinion, philosophy was made for man.

It has often been found that profuse expenditures, heavy taxation, absurd commercial restrictions, corrupt tribunals, disastrous wars, seditions, persecutions, conflagrations, inundation, have not been able to destroy capital so fast as the exertions of private citizens have been able to create it.

In every age the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among demagogues.

If anybody would make me the greatest king that ever lived, with palaces, and gardens and fine dinners, and wine, and coaches, and beautiful clothes, and hundreds of servants, on condition that I would not read books, I would not be a king.

Cut off my head, and singular I am, Cut off my tail, and plural I appear; Although my middle's left, there's nothing there! What is my head cut off? A sounding sea; What is my tail cut off? A rushing river; And in their mingling depths I fearless play, Parent of sweetest sounds, yet mute forever.

In truth it may be laid down as an almost universal rule that good poets are bad critics.