Did not strong connections draw me elsewhere, I believe Scotland would be the country I would choose to end my days in.

Marriage is the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which one is most likely to find solid happiness.

By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.

Life is rather a state of embryo, a preparation for life; a man is not completely born till he has passed through death.

The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.

Men's minds do not die with their bodies but are made more happy or miserable after this life according to their actions.

Conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to solicit his assistance for obtaining it.

He that won't be counseled can't be helped. He that would have a short Lent, let him borrow Money to be repaid at Easter.

Make the best use of both time and money. Add industry and frugal dealings if they pay very well and if you're free to it.

Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.

We may perhaps learn to deprive large masses of their gravity and give them absolute levity, for the sake of easy transport.

...till we are uneasy in Rest, we can have no Desire to move, and without Desire of moving there can be no voluntary Motion.

Don't think so much of your own Cunning, as to forget other Men's; a Cunning Man is overmatched by a cunning Man and a Half.

Increase in me that wisdom Which discovers my truest interest, Strengthen my resolution To perform that which wisdom dictates.

A man compounded of law and gospel is able to cheat a whole country with his religion and then destroy them under color of law

There is much money given to be laughed at, though the purchasers don't know it; witness A.'s fine horse, and B.'s fine house.

I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," etc., but some vain thing immediately followed.

The two most beautiful sights I have witnessed in my life are a full blown ship at sail and the round-bellied pregnant female.

It is the eye of other people that ruin us. If I were blind I would want, neither fine clothes, fine houses or fine furniture.

Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy. At least, you will by such conduct, stand the best chance for such consequences.

I have heard that nothing gives an Author so great Pleasure, as to find his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors.

Without Freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom;and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.

There cannot be a stronger natural right than that of a man's making the best profit he can of the natural produce of his lands.

I believe ... that the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life, respecting its conduct in this.

Dangerous, therefore, is it to take shelter under a tree, during a thunder-gust. It has been fatal to many, both men and beasts.

I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of Faults than I had imagined, but I had the Satisfaction of seeing them diminish.

There are two ways to increase your wealth. Increase your means or decrease your wants. The best is to do both at the same time.

You will observe with concern how long a useful truth may be known, and exist, before it is generally received and practiced on.

Nor is it of much Importance to us to know the Manner in which Nature executes her laws; 'tis enough to know the Laws themselves.

That Quantity that is sufficient, the Stomach can perfectly concoct and digest, and it sufficeth the due Nourishment of the Body.

Oh the wonderful knowledge to be found in the stars. Even the smallest things are written there ... if you had but skill to read.

The only time a question should be asked is when all other possibilities of finding the answer for yourself have been eliminated.

Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom - and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.

On being asked what condition of man he considered the most pitiable: A lonesome man on a rainy day who does not know how to read.

The Difficulty lies, in finding out an exact Measure but eat for Necessity, not Pleasure, for Lust knows not where Necessity ends.

The grand leap of the whale up the Fall of Niagara is esteemed, by all who have seen it, as one of the finest spectacles in nature.

But in this world nothing is sure but death and taxes. [Fr., Mais dons ce monde, il n'y a rien d'assure que le mort et les impots.]

Do you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?

Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money

It seems to me, that if statesmen had a little more arithmetic, or were accustomed to calculation, wars would be much less frequent.

Here's to our beloved George Washington, the Joshua of America, who commanded the sun and the moon to stand still - and they obeyed.

I have never seen the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into Gold, but I have known the pursuit of it turn a Man's Gold into Lead.

I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up.

If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.

Rarely use Venery but for Health or Offspring; Never to Dulness, Weakness, or the Injury of your own or another's Peace or Reputation.

So convenient a thing to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every thing one has a mind to do.

Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily bear the latter.

The punishment of murder by death is contrary to reason, and to the order and happiness of society, and contrary to divine revelation.

All who think cannot but see there is a sanction like that of religion which binds us in partnership in the serious work of the world.

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