“Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments.”

If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his mind; but our primary consideration would be to take care of ourselves. We should knock him down first, and pity him afterwards.

A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse, not a remarkable mathematician.

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

Books like friends, should be few and well-chosen.

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.

Sorrow is the mere rust of the soul. Activity will cleanse and brighten it.

There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.

A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.

The Irish are a fair people: They never speak well of one another.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties.

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven’t courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

The superiority of some men is merely local. They are great because their associates are little.

Each person’s work is always a portrait of himself.

You can never be wise unless you love reading.

Whatever enlarges hope will also exalt courage.