Well, Page, I do wish the Devil had old Cooke, for I am sure I never was so tired of an old dull scoundrel in my life ... But the old-fellows say we must read to gain knowledge; and gain knowledge to make us happy and be admired. Mere jargon! Is there any such thing as happiness in this world? No.

The last hope of human liberty in this world rests on us. we ought, for so dear a stake, to sacrifice every attachment & every enmity.

The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters.

The plough is to the farmer what the wand is to the sorcerer. Its effect is really like sorcery.

Every man has a commission to admonish, exhort, convince another of error.

He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world's believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.

We need a revolution every 20 years just to keep government honest.