Mankind are so ready to bestow their admiration on the dead, because the latter do not hear it, or because it gives no pleasure to the objects of it. Even fame is the offspring of envy.

Anyone is to be pitied who has just sense enough to perceive his deficiencies.

I like a friend the better for having faults that one can talk about.

The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.

Success in business is seldom owing to uncommon talents or original power which is untractable and self-willed, but to the greatest degree of commonplace capacity.

A life of action and danger moderates the dread of death.

The confession of our failings is a thankless office. It savors less of sincerity or modesty than of ostentation. It seems as if we thought our weaknesses as good as other people's virtues.