A little grain of the romance is no ill ingredient to preserve and exalt the dignity of human nature, without which it is apt to degenerate into everything that is sordid, vicious and low.
The system of morality to be gathered from the ancient sages falls very short of that delivered in the gospel.
Great abilities, when employed as God directs, do but make the owners of them greater and more painful servants to their neighbors.
I have heard of a man who had a mind to sell his house, and therefore carried a piece of brick in his pocket, which he shewed as a pattern to encourage purchasers.
Hail, follow, well met, All dirty and wet: Find out, if you can, Who’s master, who’s man.
Tis nothing when you are used to it.
All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain and languor; it’s like spending this year part of next year’s revenue.
He had been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, which were to be put into vials hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the air in raw, inclement summers.
Ah, a German and a genius ! A prodigy, admit him !
Polite Conversation Why, everyone one as they like; as the good woman said when she kissed her cow.
Faith, that’s as well said as if I had said it myself.
This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk.
What they do in heaven we are ignorant of; what they do not do we are told expressly.
My horses understand me tolerably well; I converse with them at least four hours every day. They are strangers to bridle or saddle; they live in great amity with me, and friendship of each other.
All human race would be wits. And millions miss, for one that hits.
Reason is a very light rider, and easily shook off.
Seamen have a custom, when they meet a whale, to fling him out an empty tub by way of amusement, to divert him from laying violent hands upon the ship.
There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.
How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.
Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.