It is a world of mischief that may be done by a single example of avarice or luxury. One voluptuous palate makes many more.
Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is summary and effectual.
Expediency often silences justice.
Dissembling profiteth nothing; a feigned countenance, and slightly forged externally, deceiveth but very few.
If you will fear nothing, think that all things are to be feared.
It is only the surprise and newness of the thing which makes that misfortune terrible which by premeditation might be made easy to us. For that which some people make light by sufferance, others do by foresight.
The state of that man’s mind who feels too intense an interest as to future events, must be most deplorable.
There is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.
We are as answerable for what we give as for what we receive; nay, the misplacing of a benefit is worse than the not receiving of it; for the one is another person’s fault, but the other is mine.
The law of the pleasure in having done anything for another is, that the one almost immediately forgets having given, and the other remembers eternally having received.
There is as much greatness of mind in the owning of a good turn as in the doing of it; and we must no more force a requital out of season than be wanting in it.
The man who has learned to triumph over sorrow wears his miseries as though they were sacred fillets upon his brow; and nothing is so entirely admirable as a man bravely wretched.
Haste trips up its own heels, fetters and stops itself.
What a vile and abject thing is man if he do not raise himself above humanity.
Real improvement is of slow growth only.
It is by the benefit of letters that absent friends are in a manner brought together.
Modesty once extinguished knows not how to return.
Praise thyself never.
Some pretend want of power to make a competent return; and you shall find in others a kind of graceless modesty, that makes a man ashamed of requiting an obligation, because it is a confession that he has received one.
You find in some a sort of graceless modesty, that makes them ashamed to requite an obligation.