Quote collection
433 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"When any one person or body of men seize into their hands the power in the last resort, there is properly no longer a government, but what Aristotle and his followers call the abuse and corruption of one."
"Brisk talkers are usually slow thinkers. There is, indeed, no wild beast more to be dreaded than a communicative man having nothing to communicate. If you are civil to the voluble they will abuse your patience; if brusque, your character."
"Under the rose, since here are none but friends, To own the truth we have some private ends."
"Your onions should be thoroughly boiled."
"A Child will make two Dishes at an Entertainment for Friends; and when the Family dines alone, the fore or hind Quarter will makea reasonable Dish; and seasoned with a little Pepper or Salt, will be very good Boiled on the fourth Day, especially in Winter."
"The two maxims of any great man at court are, always to keep his countenance, and never to keep his word."
"I'm up and down and round about, Yet all the world can't find me out; Though hundreds have employed their leisure, They never yet could find my measure."
"Satire, being levelled at all, is never resented for an offence by any."
"My father had a small Estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the Third of five Sons."
"Pride, ill nature, and want of sense, are the three great sources of ill manners."
"A favor is half granted, when graciously refused."
"I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals."
"Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired"
"Judges... are picked out from the most dextrous lawyers, who are grown old or lazy, and having been biased all their lives against truth or equity, are under such a fatal necessity of favoring fraud, perjury and oppression, that I have known several of them to refuse a large bribe from the side where justice lay, rather than injure the faculty by doing any thing unbecoming their nature in office."
"Perverseness is your whole defence."
"Arbitrary power is the natural object of temptation to a prince, as wine and women to a young fellow, or a bribe to a judge, or avarice to old age."
"Everyone desires long life, not one old age."
"A pleasant companion is as good as a coach."
"How often do we contradict the right rules of reason in the whole course of our lives! Reason itself is true and just, but the reason of every particular man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interests, his passions, and his vices."
"No man will take counsel, but every man will take money. Therefore, money is better than counsel."