“Words are but wind; and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.”

Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect.

When I am reading a book, whether wise or silly, it seems to me to be alive and talking to me.

And surely one of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid.

It often happens that, if a lie be believed only for an hour, it has done its work, and there is no further occasion for it.

You cannot reason a person out of something they were not reasoned into.

Positiveness is a good quality for preachers and speakers because, whoever shares his thoughts with the public will convince them as he himself appears convinced.

This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.

Wise people are never less alone than when they are alone.

Argument is the worst sort of conversation.

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Live every day as your last, because one of these days, it will be.

Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches as to conceive how others can be in want.

Every dog must have his day.

I said there was a society of men among us, bred up from their youth in the art of proving by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white, according as they are paid. To this society all the rest of the people are as slaves.

A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.

When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.