Geologists complain that when they want specimens of the common rocks of a country, they receive curious spars; just so, historians give us the extraordinary events and omit just what we want,--the every-day life of each particular time and country.
It is also important to guard against mistaking for good-nature what is properly good-humor,--a cheerful flow of spirits and easy temper not readily annoyed, which is compatible with great selfishness.
All gaming, since it implies a desire to profit at the expense of another, involves a breach of the tenth commandment.
Those who relish the study of character may profit by the reading of good works of fiction, the product of well-established authors.
Fancy, when once brought into religion, knows not where to stop. It is like one of those fiends in old stories which any one could raise, but which, when raised, could never be kept within the magic circle.
The word of knowledge, strictly employed, implies three things: truth, proof, and conviction.
Happiness is no laughing matter.
Man is naturally more desirous of a quiet and approving, than of a vigilant and tender conscience--more desirous of security than of safety.
A certain class of novels may with propriety be called fables.
Nothing but the right can ever be expedient, since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a great good to a less.
Of all hostile feelings, envy is perhaps the hardest to be subdued, because hardly any one owns it even to himself, but looks out for one pretext after another to justify his hostility.
Eloquence is relative. One can no more pronounce on the eloquence of any composition than the wholesomeness of a medicine, without knowing for whom it is intended.
When men have become heartily wearied of licentious anarchy, their eagerness has been proportionately great to embrace the opposite extreme of rigorous despotism.
Neither human applause nor human censure is to be taken as the best of truth; but either should set us upon testing ourselves.
The happiest lot for a man, as far as birth is concerned, is that it should be such as to give him but little occasion to think much about it.
Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Every day we present the best quotes! Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends
or simply: