The most melancholy of human reflections, perhaps, is that, on the whole, it is a question whether the benevolence of mankind does most good or harm.

A man's mother is his misfortune, but his wife is his fault.

Great and terrible systems of divinity and philosophy lie round about us, which, if true, might drive a wise man mad.

The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything.

Money is economic power.

The being without an opinion is so painful to human nature that most people will leap to a hasty opinion rather than undergo it.

Credit means that a certain confidence is given, and a certain trust reposed. Is that trust justified? And is that confidence wise? These are the cardinal questions. To put it more simply credit is a set of promises to pay; will those promises be kept?