Tears may be considered as the natural and involuntary resource of the mind overcome by some sudden and violent emotion, before ithas had time to reconcile its feelings to the change in circumstances: while laughter may be defined to be the same sort of convulsive and involuntary movement, occasioned by mere sur prise or contrast (in the absence of any more serious emotion), before it has time to reconcile its belief to contradictory appearances.

People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel.

As hypocrisy is said to be the highest compliment to virtue, the art of lying is the strongest acknowledgment of the force of truth.

Familiarity confounds all traits of distinction; interest and prejudice take away the power of judging.

We can scarcely hate anyone that we know.

Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.

Taste is nothing but an enlarged capacity for receiving pleasure from works of imagination.