“A patriot is a fool in ev’ry age.”

He who tells a lie is not sensible of how great a task he undertakes; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one.

Charm strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always To be Blest.

In this commonplace world every one is said to be romantic who either admires a fine thing or does one.

Why did I write? What sin to me unknown dipped me in ink, my parents , or my own?

Conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty; it is not only needless, but it impairs what it would improve.

Get your enemy to read your works in order to mend them, for your friend is so much your second self that he will judge too like you.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

When we are young, we are slavishly employed in procuring something whereby we may live comfortably when we grow old; and when we are old, we perceive it is too late to live as we proposed.

All nature is but art unknown to thee.

Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend.

Physicians are in general the most amiable companions and the best friends, as well as the most learned men I know.

Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

The Right Divine of Kings to govern wrong.

Great oaks grow from little acorns. He has a green thumb. He has green fingers. He’s sowing his wild oats. Here Ceres’ gifts in waving prospect stand, And nodding tempt the joyful reaper’s hand.

All seems infected that th’ infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.

We are the heirs of the ages.

There is nothing more despicable than an old man who has no other proof than his age to offer of his having lived long in the world.

Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.

I have always regarded Mr. Bean as a timeless, ageless character, and I would rather he be remembered as a character mostly in his 30s and 40s.

On the one hand maybe I’ve remained infantile, while on the other I matured quickly, because at a young age I was very aware of suffering and fear.

They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!

Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.