I had rather seem mad and a sluggard, so that my defects are agreeable to myself, or that I am not pinfully conscious of them, than be wise, and chaptious.
This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.
It is not enough for poems to be beautiful; they must be affecting, and must lead the heart of the hearer as they will.
Either stick to tradition or see that your inventions be consistent.
He who combines the useful and the pleasing wins out by both instructing and delighting the reader. That is the sort of book that will make money for the publisher, cross the seas, and extend the fame of the author.
Quae caret ora cruore nostro?
He cannot wisely consent to spend the best years of his life in getting ready to live.
Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.
Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.
Common sense is very uncommon.
Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.
Wisdom is not wisdom when it is derived from books alone.
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.
Remember when life’s path is steep to keep your mind even.
A good and faithful judge ever prefers the honorable to the expedient.
Whatever advice you give, be short.
It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity.
Happy he who far from business, like the primitive are of mortals, cultivates with his own oxen the fields of his fathers, free from all anxieties of gain.
Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment.
Rule your mind or it will rule you.