Nothing more clearly shows how little God esteems his gift to men of wealth, money, position and other worldly goods, than the way he distributes these, and the sort of men who are most amply provided with them.
It requires more than mere genius to be an author.
If some persons died, and others did not die, death would be a terrible affliction.
Criticism is often not a science; it is a craft, requiring more good health than wit, more hard work than talent, more habit than native genius. In the hands of a man who has read widely but lacks judgment, applied to certain subjects it can corrupt both its readers and the writer himself.
Criticism is as often a trade as a science, requiring, as it does, more health than wit, more labour than capacity, more practice than genius.
There are some sordid minds, formed of slime and filth, to whom interest and gain are what glory and virtue are to superior souls; they feel no other pleasure but to acquire money.
Jesting is often only indigence of intellect.
We seek our happiness outside ourselves, and in the opinion of men we know to be flatterers, insincere, unjust, full of envy, caprice and prejudice.
The regeneration of society is the regeneration of society by individual education.
The court is like a palace of marble; it’s composed of people very hard and very polished.
Life at court does not satisfy a man, but it keeps him from being satisfied with anything else.
Politeness makes one appear outwardly as they should be within.
If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?
If a handsome woman allows that another woman is beautiful, we may safely conclude she excels her.
It is in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.
Impertinent wits are a kind of insect which are in everybody’s way and plentiful in all countries.
The same common sense which makes an author write good things, makes him dread they are not good enough to deserve reading.
You think him to be your dupe; if he feigns to be so who is the greater dupe, he or you?
Cheats easily believe others as bad as themselves; there is no deceiving them, nor do they long deceive.
We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.