What would constitute useful history? That which should teach us our duties and our rights, without appearing to teach them.

Life is bristling with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to cultivate one's garden.

Great men have all been formed either before academies or independent of them.

Nothing could be smarter, more splendid, more brilliant, better drawn up than two armies. Trumpets, fifes, hautboys, drums, cannons, formed a harmony such as never been heard in hell.

It does not require great art, or magnificently trained eloquence, to prove that Christians should tolerate each other. I, however, am going further: I say that we should regard all men as our brothers. What? The Turk my brother? The Chinaman my brother? The Jew? The Siam? Yes, without doubt; are we not all children of the same father and creatures of the same God?

The superfluous, a very necessary thing.

Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life.