The difference between a man of sense and a fop is that the fop values himself upon his dress; and the man of sense laughs at it, at the same time he knows he must not neglect it. |
The heart never grows better by age; I fear rather worse, always harder. A young liar will be an old one, and a young knave will only be a greater knave as he grows older. |
The less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. |
The man who cannot believe his senses, and the man, who cannot believe in anything else, are both insane |
The manner of a vulgar man has freedom without ease; the manner of a gentleman, ease without freedom |
The mere brute pleasure of reading -the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing. |
The more one works, the more willing one is to work. |
The only solid and lasting peace between a man and his wife is, doubtless, a separation |
The rich are always advising the poor, but the poor seldom return the compliment. |
The scholar without good breeding is a nitpicker; the philosopher a cynic; the soldier a brute and everyone else disagreeable. |
The world can doubtless never be well known by theory: practice is absolutely necessary; but surely it is of great use to a young man, before he sets out for that country, full of mazes, windings, and turnings, to have at least a general map of it, made by some experienced traveler. |
The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it |
The young leading the young, is like the blind leading the blind; "they will both fall into the ditch |
There is a sort of veteran woman of condition, who, having lived always in the grand monde, and having possibly had some gallantries, together with the experience of five and twenty or thirty years, form a young fellow better than all the rules that can be given him. Wherever you go, make some of those women your friends; which a very little matter will do. Ask their advice, tell them your doubts or difficulties as to your behavior; but take great care not to drop one word of their experience; for experience implies age, and the suspicion of age, no woman, let her be ever so old, ever forgives. |
There is hardly anybody good for everything, and there is scarcely anybody who is absolutely good for nothing. |