Believe all the good you can of everyone. Do not measure others by yourself. If they have advantages which you have not, let your liberality keep pace with their good fortune. Envy no one, and you need envy no one.

Men are in numberless instances qualified for certain things, for no other reason than because they are qualified for nothing else.

We grow tired of ourselves, much more of other people.

Death puts an end to rivalship and competition. The dead can boast no advantage over us, nor can we triumph over them.

People are not soured by misfortune, but by the reception they meet with in it.

We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it. This is the reason why it is so difficult for any but natives to speak a language correctly or idiomatically.

Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when we trust our happiness in the hands of others!