Samuel Johnson

I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of government other than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual.

There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.

Never, my dear Sir, do you take it into your head that I do not love you; you may settle yourself in full confidence both of my love and my esteem; I love you as a kind man, I value you as a worthy man, and hope in time to reverence you as a man of exemplary piety.

For who is pleased with himself.

It is very strange, and very melancholy, that the paucity of human pleasures should persuade us ever to call hunting one of them.

Sir, a man may be so much of everything, that he is nothing of anything.

The boy gathers materials for a temple, and then when he is thirty, concludes to build a woodshed.

Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.

Life is a journey. Time is a river. The door is ajar.

What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.

The best armor is to keep out of gunshot.

Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees.

Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all of which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, even if religion vanished; but religious superstition dismounts all these and erects an absolute monarchy in the minds of men.

The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like Him.

A portion of mankind take pride in their vices and pursue their purpose; many more waver between doing what is right and complying with what is wrong.

Beauty is the pilot of the young soul.

Business is the salt of life.

Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself.

I have never accepted what many people have kindly said-namely that I inspired the nation. Their will was resolute and remorseless, and as it proved, unconquerable. It fell to me to express it.

The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.

Do the thing and you will have the power. But they that do not the thing, had not the power.