Opportunity makes a thief.
It was prettily devised of Aesop, The fly sat on the axle tree of the chariot wheel and said, what dust do I raise!
He that gives good advice builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example builds with both.
There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic: a man’s own observation what he finds good of and what he finds hurt of is the best physic to preserve health.
Our humanity is a poor thing, except for the divinity that stirs within us.
We are much beholden to Machiavel and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do.
Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words, or in good order.
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility.
Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.
The return of my birthday, if I remember it, fills me with thoughts which it seems to be the general care of humanity to escape.
You cannot run faster than a bullet.
If you want the moon, do not hide from the night. If you want a rose, do not hide from the thorns. If you want love, do not hide from yourself.
Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.
Danger – if you meet it promptly and without flinching – you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
Self-pity in its early stages is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable.
You must avoid sloth, that wicked siren.
Men have become the tools of their trade.
Nothing flatters a man as much as the happiness of his wife; he is always proud of himself as the source of it.
