Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the hopes and fears of the next to vary the prospect before them.

The greatest pleasure in life is that of reading while we are young. I have had as much of this pleasure perhaps as any one.

Cowardice is not synonymous with prudence. It often happens that the better part of discretion is valor.

I have known persons without a friend--never any one without some virtue. The virtues of the former conspired with their vices to make the whole world their enemies.

The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor.

Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them.

We prefer a person with vivacity and high spirits, though bordering upon insolence, to the timid and pusillanimous; we are fonder of wit joined to malice than of dullness without it.