A court of heraldry sprung up to supply the place of crusade exploits, to grant imaginary shields and trophies to families that never wore real armor, and it is but of late that it has been discovered to have no real jurisdiction.

It is true there is nothing displays a genius, I mean a quickness of genius, more than a dispute; as two diamonds, encountering, contribute to each other's luster. But perhaps the odds is much against the man of taste in this particular.

Men of quality never appear more amiable than when their dress is plain. Their birth, rank, title and its appendages are at best indivious and as they do not need the assistance of dress, so, by their disclaiming the advantage of it, they make their superiority sit more easy.

May I always have a heart superior, with economy suitable, to my fortune.

There is a certain flimsiness of poetry which seems expedient in a song.

I know not whether increasing years do not cause us to esteem fewer people and to bear with more.

Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their avarice; whereas a child can clench its fist the moment it is born.