Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love, and respect.
Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can not be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.
Avoid shame, but do not seek glory, — nothing so expensive as glory.
Never give way to melancholy; resist it steadily, for the habit will encroach.
No man can ever end with being superior, who will not begin with being inferior.
It is the safest to be moderately base — to be flexible in shame, and to be always ready for what is generous, good, and just, when anything is to be gained by virtue.
If you could be alarmed into the semblance of modesty, you would charm everybody; but remember my joke against you about the Moon and the Solar System;—”Damn the solar system! bad light — planets too distant — pestered with comets — feeble contriviance; — could make a better with great ease.”
The fact is that in order to do any thing in this world worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.
Great men hallow a whole people and lift up all who live in their time.
Among the smaller duties of life I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due.
The object of preaching is, constantly to remind mankind of what mankind are constantly forgetting; not to supply the defects of human intelligence, but to fortify the feebleness of human resolutions.