There are proud men of so much delicacy that it almost conceals their pride, and perfectly excuses it.

As there are some flowers which you should smell but slightly to extract all that is pleasant in them ... so there are some men with whom a slight acquaintance is quite sufficient to draw out all that is agreeable; a more intimate one would be unsafe and unsatisfactory.

Such is our impatience, such our hatred of procrastination, to everything but the amendment of our practices and the adornment of our nature, one would imagine we were dragging Time along by force, and not he us.

The writing of the wise are the only riches our posterity cannot squander.

Was genius ever ungrateful? Mere talents are dry leaves, tossed up and down by gusts of passion, and scattered and swept away; but, Genius lies on the bosom of Memory, and Gratitude at her feet.

He who brings ridicule to bear against truth finds in his hand a blade without a hilt.

Those who speak against the great do not usually speak from morality, but from envy.