For there is in mankind an unfortunate propensity to make themselves, their views and their works, the measure of excellence in every thing whatsoever.
Religious persecution may shield itself under the guise of a mistaken and over-zealous piety.
General rebellions and revolts of a whole people never were encouraged now or at any time. They are always provoked.
Falsehood is a perennial spring.
If the people are happy, united, wealthy, and powerful, we presume the rest. We conclude that to be good from whence good is derived.
Poetry is the art of substantiating shadows, and of lending existence to nothing.
I venture to say no war can be long carried on against the will of the people.
To innovate is not to reform.
The traveller has reached the end of the journey!
Dangers by being despised grow great.
The yielding of the weak is the concession to fear.
A definition may be very exact, and yet go but a very little way towards informing us of the nature of the thing defined.
Jacobinism is the revolt of the enterprising talents of a country against its property.
A thing may look specious in theory, and yet be ruinous in practice; a thing may look evil in theory, and yet be in practice excellent.
Somebody has said, that a king may make a nobleman but he cannot make a gentleman.
When ancient opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be estimated. From that moment, we have no compass to govern us, nor can we know distinctly to what port to steer.
Nothing tends so much to the corruption of science as to suffer it to stagnate; these waters must be troubled before they can exert their virtues.
Surely the church is a place where one day’s truce ought to be allowed to the dissensions and animosities of mankind.
The tribunal of conscience exists independent of edicts and decrees.
Contempt is not a thing to be despised. It may be borne with a calm and equal mind, but no man, by lifting his head high, can pretend that he does not perceive the scorns that are poured down on him from above.