An orator can hardly get beyond commonplaces: if he does he gets beyond his hearers.

It is hard for any one to be an honest politician who is not born and bred a Dissenter.

The measure of any man's virtue is what he would do, if he had neither the laws nor public opinion, nor even his own prejudices, to control him.

Sincerity has to do with the connexion between our words and thoughts, and not between our beliefs and actions.

Those who are fond of setting things to rights, have no great objection to seeing them wrong.

The ignorance of the world leaves one at the mercy of its malice.

We imagine that the admiration of the works of celebrated men has become common, because the admiration of their names has become so.